New King James Version
Genesis 7:2
2You 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;
Genesis 7:2 in other versions
- King James Version (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.
- New International Version (NIV)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,
- English Standard Version (ESV)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,
- New Living Translation (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.
Context of Genesis 7:2
1Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation. 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; 3also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of all the earth. 4For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made.”
Read all of Genesis 7Genesis 7:2 word by word
מִכֹּ֣ל׀ הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה הַטְּהוֹרָ֗ה תִּֽקַּח־לְךָ֛ שִׁבְעָ֥ה שִׁבְעָ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וּמִן־הַבְּהֵמָ֡ה אֲ֠שֶׁר לֹ֣א טְהֹרָ֥ה הִ֛וא שְׁנַ֖יִם אִ֥ישׁ וְאִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Of every cleanטָהוֹרţâhôr ţâhôr · pureH2889
- beastבְּהֵמָהbehêmâh · animalH929
- thou shalt takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- to thee by sevensשֶׁ֫בַעsheba‛ shib‛âh · sevenH7651
- the maleאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- and his femaleאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- not cleanהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
- by twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
Cross-references for Genesis 7:2
- Genesis 7:8Of clean animals, of animals that are unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth,
- Genesis 6:19And of every living thing of all flesh you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female.
- Genesis 8:20Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
- Leviticus 11:1Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them,
- Deuteronomy 14:1“You are the children of the Lord your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead.
- Acts 10:11and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.
- Leviticus 10:10that you may distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean,
- Ezekiel 44:23“And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
Commentaries on Genesis 7:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Of every clean beast - So we find the distinction between clean and unclean animals existed long before the Mosaic law. This distinction seems to have been originally designed to mark those animals which were proper for sacrifice and food, from those that were not. See Leviticus 11.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-9Verses 1-9 - The Ark Was Entered 2. טהור ṭâhôr “clean, fit for food or sacrifice.” 4. יקוּם yeqûm “standing thing; what grows up, whether animal or plant.” Compare קמה qāmâh “stalk, or standing corn.” Genesis 7:1-4 Here is found the command to enter the ark. The general direction in the preceding chapter was given many years ago, before the ark was commenced. Now, when it is completed, a more specific command is issued. “For thee have I seen…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2every kind of clean animal: There were animals meant to repopulate the earth. There were also these ceremonially clean animals for food and for Noah's sacrifice after the flood (8:20–21). This passage does not use the specific terms found in the rules about ceremonially clean and unclean animals given to Israel at Mount Sinai (see Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14:3–12). But the basic idea is the same. It could be that God explained it directly to Noah.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-32-3. Of every clean beast ... fowls--Pairs of every species of animals, except the tenants of the deep, were to be taken for the preservation of their respective kinds. This was the general rule of admission, only with regard to those animals which are styled "clean," three pairs were to be taken, whether of beasts or birds; and the reason was that their rapid multiplication was a matter of the highest importance, when the earth should be renovated, for…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 7:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries