Genesis 7 · Verse 2

Genesis 7:2

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.
Genesis 7:2, King James Version

Genesis 7:2 in other translations

BSBYou 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;
WEBYou 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.
ASVOf 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:
YLTof 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;
DARBYOf all clean beasts thou shalt take to thee by sevens, a male and its female; but of the beasts that are not clean two, a male and its female.
BBEOf every clean beast you will take seven males and seven females, and of the beasts which are not clean, two, the male and his female;
WebsterOf 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.

What does Genesis 7:2 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Genesis 7:2-3
2-3. 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 their utility either as articles of food or as employed in the service of man. But what was the use of the seventh? It was manifestly reserved for sacrifice; and so that both during Noah's residence in the ark, and after his return to dry land, provision was made for celebrating the rites of worship according to the religion of fallen man. He did not, like many, leave religion behind. He provided for it during his protracted voyage.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 2 Of 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.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 7:1-12

The call to Noah is very kind, like that of a tender father to his children to come in-doors when he sees night or a storm coming. Noah did not go into the ark till God bade him, though he knew it was to be his place of refuge. It is very comfortable to see God going before us in every step we take. Noah had taken a great deal of pains to build the ark, and now he was himself kept alive in it. What we do in…

Read the full comment on Genesis 7:1-12 →

Genesis 7:2 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

מִכֹּ֣ל\׀mi.Kolof allH3605
הַבְּהֵמָ֣הha.be.he.Mahthe livestockH929
הַטְּהוֹרָ֗הha.te.ho.Rah<the> cleanH2889
תִּֽקַּח\־ti.kach-you will takeH3947
לְךָ֛le.Khafor <the> yourself
שִׁבְעָ֥הshiv.'AhsevenH7651
שִׁבְעָ֖הshiv.'AhsevenH7651
אִ֣ישׁ'isha maleH376
וְאִשְׁתּ֑וֹve.'ish.Toand female itsH802
וּמִן\־u.min-and ofH4480
הַבְּהֵמָ֡הha.be.he.Mahthe animal[s]H929
אֲ֠שֶׁר'a.SherwhichH834
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
טְהֹרָ֥הte.ho.Rah[is] cleanH2889
הִ֛ואhi'itH1931
שְׁנַ֖יִםshe.Na.yimtwoH8147
אִ֥ישׁ'isha maleH376
וְאִשְׁתּֽוֹ\׃ve.'ish.Toand female itsH802

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 7:2

  • Leviticus 10:10

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

  • 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.

  • Leviticus 11:1-47

    And the Lord spake unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat. Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you. …

  • Acts 10:11-15

    And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. …

  • 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,

  • 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.

  • Deuteronomy 14:1-21

    Ye are the children of the Lord your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing. These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat, …

  • 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. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
every clean.
8; 6:19-21; 8:20; Le 11:1-47; De 14:1-21; Ac 10:11-15
sevens. Heb. seven, seven. not.
Le 10:10; Eze 44:23

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 7:1

    And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

  • Genesis 7:2

    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.

  • Genesis 7:3

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

Read all of Genesis 7

Genesis 7:2 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		De todo animal limpio te tomarás de siete en siete, macho y su hembra; mas de los animales que no son limpios, dos, macho y su hembra.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		De toutes les bêtes pures tu prendras sept par sept, le mâle et sa femelle, et des bêtes qui ne sont pas pures, deux, le mâle et sa femelle;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Von allem reinen Vieh sollst du sieben und sieben zu dir nehmen, ein Männchen und sein Weibchen; und von dem Vieh, das nicht rein ist, zwei, ein Männchen und sein Weibchen;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ex omnibus animantibus mundis tolle septena et septena, masculum et feminam: de animantibus vero immundis duo et duo, masculum et feminam.