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.
Parallel translations
- KJV 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.
- BSB 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;
- NKJV 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;
- NASB 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;
- NLT 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Noah is to take seven pairs of clean animals and two of the unclean. This provision anticipates later worship and sacrifice.
Overview
The distinction between clean and unclean animals appears here before the Mosaic law formalized it, suggesting an early awareness of animals fit for sacrifice. The extra clean animals provide for the burnt offerings Noah will make after the flood. This points ahead to the whole sacrificial system that ultimately finds its fulfillment in the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Lev 10:10You are to make a distinction between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean.
- Gen 8:20Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and took of every clean animal, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
- Lev 11:1–47Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them,
- Acts 10:11–15He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth,
- Gen 7:8Clean animals, unclean animals, birds, and everything that creeps on the ground
- Ezek 44:23They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
- Deut 14:1–21You are the children of Yahweh your God. You shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.
- Gen 6:19–21Of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ship, to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 7:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.