Gen 9:12–17: the sign, the bow, and "I will remember"

Says זֹאת אוֹת־הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי נֹתֵן, "this is the sign ('ot) of the covenant that I am giving," לְדֹרֹת עוֹלָם, "for everlasting generations." In 9:13 אֶת־קַשְׁתִּי נָתַתִּי בֶּעָנָן, "my bow I have set in the cloud": qeshet is the ordinary word for a bow ("My rainbow," BSB), and the verb is perfect ("I have set," BSB). 9:14 has בְּעַנְנִי עָנָן, "when I cloud a cloud," a verb and its own noun.

Says In 9:15 וְזָכַרְתִּי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי, "and I will remember my covenant" (zakhar), and in 9:16 וּרְאִיתִיהָ לִזְכֹּר בְּרִית עוֹלָם, "and I will see it, to remember an everlasting covenant" (BDB "remember"), בֵּין אֱלֹהִים, "between God," God speaking of Himself by name. The covenant is בְּכָל־בָּשָׂר, "with all flesh" ("of every kind," BSB); 9:17 closes with the verb of 9:9 and 9:11, הֲקִמֹתִי, "I have established."

Implies The sign reminds God, not the creatures: God sees the bow and God remembers, so nothing is required of the creatures for the covenant to stand.

Uncertain Whether the bow is new at 9:13 or an existing sight given a meaning: the perfect "I have set" can mean either. That the weapon is hung up, pointed away, is one reading. Objection: the text mentions no war. No lean is taken here.