Genesis 7:2 You are to take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate; a pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate;

◄ Genesis 7:2 ►

New International Version
Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate, and one pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate,

New Living Translation
Take with you seven pairs—male and female—of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others.

English Standard Version
Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate,

Berean Standard Bible
You are to take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate; a pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate;

King James Bible
Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.

New King James Version
You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female;

New American Standard Bible
You shall take with you seven pairs of every clean animal, a male and his female; and two of the animals that are not clean, a male and his female;

NASB 1995
“You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female;

NASB 1977
“You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean two, a male and his female;

Legacy Standard Bible
You shall take with you of every clean animal by sevens, a male and his female; and of the animals that are not clean, two, a male and his female;

Amplified Bible
Of every clean animal you shall take with you seven pair, the male and his female, and of animals that are not clean, two each the male and his female;

Christian Standard Bible
You are to take with you seven pairs, a male and its female, of all the clean animals, and two of the animals that are not clean, a male and its female,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You are to take with you seven pairs, a male and its female, of all the clean animals, and two of the animals that are not clean, a male and its female,

American Standard Version
Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, the male and his female; and of the beasts that are not clean two, the male and his female:

Contemporary English Version
Take seven pairs of every kind of animal that can be used for sacrifice and one pair of all others.

English Revised Version
Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, the male and his female; and of the beasts that are not clean two, the male and his female;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal (a male and a female of each) and one pair of every kind of unclean animal (a male and a female).

Good News Translation
Take with you seven pairs of each kind of ritually clean animal, but only one pair of each kind of unclean animal.

International Standard Version
You are to take with you seven pairs of every clean animal, a male and its mate, and two of the unclean animals, a male and its mate;

Majority Standard Bible
You are to take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate; a pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate;

NET Bible
You must take with you seven of every kind of clean animal, the male and its mate, two of every kind of unclean animal, the male and its mate,

New Heart English Bible
You shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. Of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female.

Webster's Bible Translation
Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.

World English Bible
You shall take seven pairs of every clean animal with you, the male and his female. Of the animals that are not clean, take two, the male and his female.

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
you take seven pairs from all the clean beasts to yourself, a male and its female; and of the beasts which are not clean—two, a male and its female;

Young's Literal Translation
of all the clean beasts thou dost take to thee seven pairs, a male and its female; and of the beasts which are not clean two, a male and its female;

Smith's Literal Translation
From all clean cattle thou shalt take to thee seven; seven male and female; and from cattle which are not clean, this two, male and female.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Of all clean beasts take seven and seven, the male and female.

Catholic Public Domain Version
From all the clean animals, take seven and seven, the male and the female. Yet truly, from animals that are unclean, take two and two, the male and the female.

New American Bible
Of every clean animal, take with you seven pairs, a male and its mate; and of the unclean animals, one pair, a male and its mate;

New Revised Standard Version
Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and its mate; and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and its mate;

Translations from Aramaic

Lamsa Bible
Of all clean animals you shall take with you seven pairs, both males and females; and of the beasts that are not clean two pairs, males and females.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And of every pure beast take to yourselves seven by seven, male and female, and from the beast that is not pure, two by two, male and female.

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, each with his mate; and of the beasts that are not clean two [and two], each with his mate;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And of the clean cattle take in to thee sevens, male and female, and of the unclean cattle pairs male and female.

Additional Translations ...

Audio Bible

Context

Entering the Ark
1Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your family, because I have found you righteous in this generation. 2You are to take with you seven pairs of every kind of clean animal, a male and its mate; a pair of every kind of unclean animal, a male and its mate; 3and seven pairs of every kind of bird of the air, male and female, to preserve their offspring on the face of all the earth.…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Leviticus 11:1-47
The LORD spoke again to Moses and Aaron, telling them, / “Say to the Israelites, ‘Of all the beasts of the earth, these ones you may eat: / You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud. ...

Deuteronomy 14:3-21
You must not eat any detestable thing. / These are the animals that you may eat: The ox, the sheep, the goat, / the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep. ...

Acts 10:11-15
He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. / It contained all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, as well as birds of the air. / Then a voice said to him: “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” ...

Mark 7:18-19
“Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him, / because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.)

Matthew 15:11
A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”

1 Peter 3:20
who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In the ark a few people, only eight souls, were saved through water.

Hebrews 11:7
By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in godly fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

2 Peter 2:5
if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;

Genesis 8:20
Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. And taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Genesis 9:3-4
Everything that lives and moves will be food for you; just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you all things. / But you must not eat meat with its lifeblood still in it.

Romans 14:14
I am convinced and fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.

Romans 14:20
Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to let his eating be a stumbling block.

1 Timothy 4:4-5
For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected, / because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Isaiah 66:17
“Those who consecrate and purify themselves to enter the groves—to follow one in the center of those who eat the flesh of swine and vermin and rats—will perish together,” declares the LORD.

Ezekiel 44:23
They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean.

Treasury of Scripture

Of every clean beast you shall take to you by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.

every clean.

Genesis 7:8
Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,

Genesis 6:19-21
And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female…

Genesis 8:20
And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

sevens.

Leviticus 10:10
And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

Ezekiel 44:23
And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

Jump to Previous

Animal Animals Beast Beasts Clean Female Females Kind Male Males Mate Pair Pairs Seven Sevens Unclean

Jump to Next

Animal Animals Beast Beasts Clean Female Females Kind Male Males Mate Pair Pairs Seven Sevens Unclean

Genesis 7

1. Noah, his family and the living creatures enter the ark.
6. The flood begins.
17. The increase of the flood for forty days.
21. All flesh is destroyed by it.
24. Its duration of 150 days.

Berean Study Bible

You are to take with you
This phrase indicates a direct command from God to Noah, emphasizing obedience and divine instruction. The Hebrew root for "take" is "laqach," which implies receiving or fetching. This command underscores the active role Noah must play in God's plan, highlighting the partnership between divine sovereignty and human responsibility.

seven pairs of every kind of clean animal
The specification of "seven pairs" is significant, as it goes beyond the typical pair of animals. The number seven in the Bible often symbolizes completeness or perfection, suggesting that God's provision is thorough and abundant. The term "clean" refers to animals that were later deemed suitable for sacrifice and consumption according to Levitical law, though these laws were not yet given. This anticipates the sacrificial system and points to the importance of purity and holiness in worship.

a male and its mate
This phrase emphasizes the importance of preserving the species through procreation. The Hebrew word for "male" is "zakar," and "mate" is "neqebah," highlighting the complementary nature of male and female in God's creation. This reflects the creation mandate in Genesis 1:28 to "be fruitful and multiply," underscoring the continuity of life even amidst judgment.

a pair of every kind of unclean animal
In contrast to the clean animals, only one pair of each unclean animal is taken. The distinction between clean and unclean animals is foundational for understanding later Jewish dietary laws. The Hebrew word for "unclean" is "tame," which conveys the idea of impurity or defilement. This distinction foreshadows the separation between holy and common, clean and unclean, which is a recurring theme in Scripture.

a male and its mate
Reiterating the earlier phrase, this repetition underscores the importance of preserving life through pairs. It also highlights God's care for all His creation, even those deemed unclean. The preservation of both clean and unclean animals demonstrates God's comprehensive plan for the post-flood world, ensuring ecological balance and the continuation of all species.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) Of every clean beast--Heb., of all clean cattle--thou shalt take to thee by sevens--Heb., seven seven.--This probably does not mean seven pairs of each, though many commentators so interpret it, but seven of each kind. If, however, seven pairs be the right interpretation, but few species could have been included, as to attend properly to so large a number of animals would have been beyond the power of Noah and his sons. But which were the clean beasts? There can be no reference here to the Levitical law, which had respect to human food; nor to animals tamed and untamed, as all alike are called cattle; but probably the clean cattle were such as from the days of Adam 'and Abel had been offered in sacrifice. Thus provision was made for Noah's sacrifice on his egress from the ark, and also for his possession of a small herd of such animals as would be most useful to him amid the desolation which must have existed for a long time after the flood. The clean beasts would therefore be oxen, sheep, goats; the unclean, camels, horses, asses, and such other animals as stood in some relation to man. Of birds, the dove would especially be clean.

It has been pointed out that these more full and specific orders are given in the name of Jehovah, whereas most of the narrative of the flood is Elohistic, and hence it has been assumed that some Jehovist narrator added to and completed the earlier narrative. These additions would be Genesis 7:1-6. the last clause of Genesis 7:16, Noah's sacrifice in Genesis 8:20-22, and the cursing of Canaan in Genesis 9:18-27. Now, it is remarkable that the sacrifice is as integral a portion of the Chaldean Genesis as the sending forth of the birds (Chaldean Genesis, p. 286), and is thus indubitably older than the time of Moses. Still, there is nothing improbable in Moses having two records of the flood before him, and while the division of Genesis into Elohistic and Jehovistic portions usually breaks down, there is a prima facie appearance of the combination of two narratives in the present history, or, at least, in this one section (Genesis 7:1-6). . . .

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - Of every clean beast. That the distinction between clean and unclean animals was at this time understood is easier to believe than that the writer would perpetrate the glaring anachronism of introducing in prediluvian times what only took its rise several centuries later (Kalisch). That this distinction was founded on nature, "every tribe of mankind being able to distinguish between the sheep and the hyena, the dove and the vulture" ('Speaker's Commentary'), or "on an immediate conscious feeling of the human spirit, not yet clouded by any ungodly and unnatural culture, which leads it to see in many beasts pictures of sin and corruption" (Keil), has been supposed; but with greater probability it was of Divine institution, with reference to the necessities of sacrifice (Ainsworth, Bush, Wordsworth; cf. Genesis 8:20). To this was appended in the Levitical system a distinction between clean and unclean in respect of man's food (Leviticus 11:3). Shalt thou take - inconsistent with Genesis 6:20, which says the animals were to come to Noah (Colenso); but Genesis 6:19, which says that Noah was to bring them, i.e. make them go (at least nearly equivalent to take), clearly recognizes Noah's agency (Quarry) - to thee by sevens. Literally, seven, seven; either seven pairs (Vulgate, LXX., Aben Ezra, Clericus, Michaells, De Wette, Knobel, Kalisch, Murphy, Alford, Wordsworth, ' Speaker's Commentary'), or seven individuals (Chrysostom, Augustine, Theodoret, Calvin, Pererius, Wiliet, Delitzsch, Rosenmüller, Keil, Lange, Bush); both parties quoting the next clause in support of their particular interpretation. Davidson, Colenso, and Kalisch challenge both interpretations as "irreconcilable with the preceding narrative" (Genesis 6:19); but the obvious answer is, that while in the first communication, which was given 120 years before, when minute instructions were not required, it is simply stated that the animals should be preserved by pairs; in the second, when the ark was finished and the animals were about to be collected, it is added that, in the case of the few clean beasts used for sacrifice, an exception should be made to the general rule, and not one pair, but either three pairs with one over, or seven pairs, should be preserved. The male and his female. This seems to be most in favor of the first interpretation, that pairs, and not individuals, are meant. And of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Ish veishto. Cf. Genesis 2:25, where the phrase denotes the ethical personality of human beings, to which there is here an approximation, as the preserved animals were designed to be the parents of subsequent races. The usual phrase for male and female, which is employed in Genesis 1:28 (a so-called Elohistic) and Genesis 7:3 (a so-called Jehovistic section), refers to the physical distinction of sex in human beings.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

You
לְךָ֛ (lə·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

{are to} take with you
תִּֽקַּח־ (tiq·qaḥ-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

seven
שִׁבְעָ֥ה (šiḇ·‘āh)
Number - masculine singular
Strong's 7651: Seven, seven times, a week, an indefinite number

of every kind of
מִכֹּ֣ל ׀ (mik·kōl)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

clean
הַטְּהוֹרָ֗ה (haṭ·ṭə·hō·w·rāh)
Article | Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 2889: Clean, pure

animal,
הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה (hab·bə·hê·māh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 929: A dumb beast, any large quadruped, animal

a male
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

and its mate,
וְאִשְׁתּ֑וֹ (wə·’iš·tōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

[and] two
שְׁנַ֖יִם (šə·na·yim)
Number - md
Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number)

of
וּמִן־ (ū·min-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of

[every kind of]
אֲ֠שֶׁר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

unclean
טְהֹרָ֥ה (ṭə·hō·rāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 2889: Clean, pure

animal,
הַבְּהֵמָ֡ה (hab·bə·hê·māh)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 929: A dumb beast, any large quadruped, animal

a male
אִ֥ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

and its mate,
וְאִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃ (wə·’iš·tōw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

Links

Genesis 7:2 NIV
Genesis 7:2 NLT
Genesis 7:2 ESV
Genesis 7:2 NASB
Genesis 7:2 KJV

Genesis 7:2 BibleApps.com
Genesis 7:2 Biblia Paralela
Genesis 7:2 Chinese Bible
Genesis 7:2 French Bible
Genesis 7:2 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Genesis 7:2 You shall take seven pairs of every (Gen. Ge Gn)