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;
Parallel translations
- WEB 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.
- 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.
- 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 must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the clean and the unclean,
- Gen 8:20Then 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.
- Lev 11:1–47The LORD spoke again to Moses and Aaron, telling them,
- Acts 10:11–15He saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.
- Gen 7:8The clean and unclean animals, the birds, and everything that crawls along the ground
- Ezek 44:23They 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.
- Deut 14:1–21You are sons of the LORD your God; do not cut yourselves or shave your foreheads on behalf of the dead,
- Gen 6:19–21And you are to bring two of every living creature into the ark—male and female—to keep them alive with you.
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.