Genesis 7:3
New International Version
and also seven pairs of every kind of bird, male and female, to keep their various kinds alive throughout the earth.

New Living Translation
Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird. There must be a male and a female in each pair to ensure that all life will survive on the earth after the flood.

English Standard Version
and seven pairs of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth.

Berean Standard Bible
and seven pairs of every kind of bird of the air, male and female, to preserve their offspring on the face of all the earth.

King James Bible
Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

New King James Version
also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth.

New American Standard Bible
also of the birds of the sky, seven pairs, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth.

NASB 1995
also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth.

NASB 1977
also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep offspring alive on the face of all the earth.

Legacy Standard Bible
also of the birds of the sky, by sevens, male and female, to keep their seed alive on the face of all the earth.

Amplified Bible
also of the birds of the air, seven pair, the male and the female, to keep the offspring alive on the surface of the earth.

Christian Standard Bible
and seven pairs, male and female, of the birds of the sky—in order to keep offspring alive throughout the earth.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and seven pairs, male and female, of the birds of the sky—in order to keep offspring alive on the face of the whole earth.

American Standard Version
of the birds also of the heavens, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

Contemporary English Version
Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird with you. Do this so there will always be animals and birds on the earth.

English Revised Version
of the fowl also of the air, seven and seven, male and female: to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Also, take seven pairs of every kind of bird (a male and a female of each) to preserve animal life all over the earth after the flood.

Good News Translation
Take also seven pairs of each kind of bird. Do this so that every kind of animal and bird will be kept alive to reproduce again on the earth.

International Standard Version
along with seven pairs of the flying birds, male and female, in order to keep their offspring alive on the surface of all the earth.

Majority Standard Bible
and seven pairs of every kind of bird of the air, male and female, to preserve their offspring on the face of all the earth.

NET Bible
and also seven of every kind of bird in the sky, male and female, to preserve their offspring on the face of the earth.

New Heart English Bible
Also of the clean flying creatures of the sky, seven pairs, a male and a female, and of all the unclean flying creatures, one pair, a male and a female, to preserve their offspring on the surface of all the earth.

Webster's Bible Translation
Of fowls of the air also by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive on the face of all the earth.

World English Bible
Also of the birds of the sky, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive on the surface of all the earth.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
also, seven pairs from [each] bird of the heavens, a male and a female, to keep alive seed on the face of all the earth;

Young's Literal Translation
also, of fowl of the heavens seven pairs, a male and a female, to keep alive seed on the face of all the earth;

Smith's Literal Translation
Also of birds of the heavens, seven: seven male and female, to preserve alive seed upon the face of all the earth.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But of the beasts that are unclean two and two, the male and female. Of the fowls also of the air seven and seven,the male and the female: that seed may be saved upon the face of the whole earth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But also from the birds of the air, take seven and seven, the male and the female, so that offspring may be saved upon the face of the whole earth.

New American Bible
likewise, of every bird of the air, seven pairs, a male and a female, to keep their progeny alive over all the earth.

New Revised Standard Version
and seven pairs of the birds of the air also, male and female, to keep their kind alive on the face of all the earth.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Likewise, of the fowls of the air that are clean seven pairs, both males and the females; to keep their posterity alive upon the face of the earth.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Also from a bird of Heaven, seven by seven, male and female, to save seed on the face of all the Earth.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
of the fowl also of the air, seven and seven, male and female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And of clean flying creatures of the sky sevens, male and female, and of all unclean flying creatures pairs, male and female, to maintain seed on all the earth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Entering the Ark
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. 4For seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living thing I have made.”…

Cross References
Genesis 6:19-20
And you are to bring two of every living creature into the ark—male and female—to keep them alive with you. / Two of every kind of bird and animal and crawling creature will come to you to be kept alive.

Genesis 8:17
Bring out all the living creatures that are with you—birds, livestock, and everything that crawls upon the ground—so that they can spread out over the earth and be fruitful and multiply upon it.”

Genesis 1:22
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters of the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”

Genesis 9:1
And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

Genesis 9:7
But as for you, be fruitful and multiply; spread out across the earth and multiply upon it.”

Matthew 24:37-39
As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. / For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. / And they were oblivious until the flood came and swept them all away. So will it be at the coming of the Son of Man.

Luke 17:26-27
Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man: / People were eating and drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

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.

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.

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 2:19-20
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and He brought them to the man to see what he would name each one. And whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. / The man gave names to all the livestock, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.

Genesis 7:8-9
The clean and unclean animals, the birds, and everything that crawls along the ground / came to Noah to enter the ark, two by two, male and female, as God had commanded Noah.

Genesis 7:15-16
They came to Noah to enter the ark, two by two of every creature with the breath of life. / And they entered, the male and female of every living thing, as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD shut him in.

Genesis 8:1
But God remembered Noah and all the animals and livestock that were with him in the ark. And God sent a wind over the earth, and the waters began to subside.


Treasury of Scripture

Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive on the face of all the earth.

Jump to Previous
Air Alive Bird Birds Earth Face Female Females Fowl Fowls Kind Kinds Male Males Offspring Pairs Seed Seven Sevens Sky Surface Throughout Various
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Air Alive Bird Birds Earth Face Female Females Fowl Fowls Kind Kinds Male Males Offspring Pairs Seed Seven Sevens Sky Surface Throughout Various
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.














and also seven
The phrase "and also seven" indicates a specific divine instruction given to Noah. The number seven in the Bible often symbolizes completeness or perfection, reflecting God's perfect plan for creation and preservation. In the context of the flood narrative, the number seven signifies the completeness of God's provision for the continuation of life. The Hebrew word for seven, "שִׁבְעָה" (shiv'ah), is rooted in the idea of fullness and abundance, underscoring God's thorough care in ensuring the survival of His creation.

of every kind of bird
This phrase emphasizes the diversity and richness of God's creation. The Hebrew word for "kind" is "מִין" (min), which refers to a category or species. God's command to preserve "every kind of bird" highlights His intention to maintain the ecological balance and biodiversity of the earth. Birds, often seen as symbols of freedom and transcendence, represent the beauty and variety of life that God cherishes and seeks to protect.

male and female
The specification of "male and female" underscores the importance of procreation and the continuation of species. This mirrors the creation narrative in Genesis 1, where God created living creatures according to their kinds, male and female, to be fruitful and multiply. The Hebrew words "זָכָר" (zakar) for male and "נְקֵבָה" (neqebah) for female highlight the complementary nature of the sexes in God's design, ensuring the perpetuation of life through reproduction.

to keep their offspring alive
This phrase reveals God's purpose in preserving the animals: the continuation of life on earth. The Hebrew word "חַי" (chai), meaning life, is central to this purpose. God's covenant with Noah includes the promise of life and renewal after the flood. This directive to "keep their offspring alive" reflects God's enduring commitment to His creation, ensuring that life would flourish once again after the judgment of the flood.

on the face of all the earth
The phrase "on the face of all the earth" signifies the global scope of God's plan. The Hebrew word for earth, "אֶרֶץ" (eretz), encompasses the entire world, indicating that God's concern and provision extend to all creation. This underscores the universality of God's covenant with Noah, which is not limited to a specific region or people but encompasses the whole earth. It serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and His overarching plan for redemption and restoration of the world.

Verse 3. - Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female. I.e. of clean fowls, "which he leaves to be understood out of the foregoing verse" (Peele). The Samaritan, Syriac, and LXX. (not so Vulgate, Onkelos, Arabic) insert the word "clean unnecessarily, and also add," καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν πετεινῶν τῶνν μὴ καθαρῶν δύο δύο ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ," manifestly to make the verse resemble the preceding. To keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
and also
גַּ֣ם (gam)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

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

of [every kind of] bird
מֵע֧וֹף (mê·‘ō·wp̄)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 5775: Flying creatures

of the air,
הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם (haš·šā·ma·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

male
זָכָ֣ר (zā·ḵār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2145: Remembered, a male

and female,
וּנְקֵבָ֑ה (ū·nə·qê·ḇāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5347: A female

in order to preserve
לְחַיּ֥וֹת (lə·ḥay·yō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive

their offspring
זֶ֖רַע (ze·ra‘)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2233: Seed, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the face
פְּנֵ֥י (pə·nê)
Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 6440: The face

of all
כָל־ (ḵāl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the earth.
הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land


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OT Law: Genesis 7:3 Also of the birds of the sky (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 7:2
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