Beraishis 7D אנכי vs אני

כִּי לְיָמִים עוֹד שִׁבְעָה אָנֹכִי מַמְטִיר עַל הָאָרֶץ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לָיְלָה וּמָחִיתִי אֶת כָּל הַיְקוּם אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה

For in another seven days I (אנכי) will make it rain upon the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will blot out everything in existence that I have made from off the face of the earth.

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There is a distinction to be made throughout Tanach, whenever אנכי is written in respect to God, as opposed to the word אני.

When the word אנכי is written, God doesn’t stand in opposition, confronting His creatures. Rather, He conducts Himself with love and compassion.

(RSRH provides over a page of etymological proofs for this. Briefly: אני comes from אנה meaning cause to happen, while staying at a distance. אנכי comes from אנך which means to encompass and to bear.)

With this understanding, there is an important lesson learned in the verse: God is telling Noach: I am about to bring about great destruction. Even so I אנכי haven’t changed. I continue to act with love and compassion. I act as אנכי who embraces everything, bears everything, and this harsh decree is for the purpose of the good of the larger whole.

RSRH adds that throughout Tanach when the name י-ה-ו-ה is pronounced by the name אלקים the same idea is being taught. (The attribute of mercy revealing itself as the attribute of justice.)

God is One. What appears to humans at times to be the conduct of opposing forces, are, in truth, all actions of the One God who never changes.

Beraishis 7:4
pages 191-193