How many pairs of clean animals did God tell Noah to take into the Ark?

How many pairs of clean animals did God tell Noah to take into the Ark?

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• Two (Genesis 6:19, 20)
• Seven (Genesis 7:2). But despite this last instruction only two pairs went into the ark (Genesis 7:8-9)

 

Genesis 6:19 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. 20 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.

 

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 7:8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. 

 

So did God command Noah to take one pair of the animals or seven pairs? And how many did Noah actually take on board the Ark? 

 

Here I will also cite Bart Ehrman who also makes note of this in one of his books. 

When Noah takes the animals on the ark, does he take seven pairs of all the “clean” animals, as Genesis 7:2 states, or just two pairs, as Genesis 7:9-10 indicates? [Bart Ehrman, Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don’t Know About Them) page 9

 

This contradiction disappears when we correctly understand the commandment given by God to Noah in both chapters.  Shabir and Bart have either not read the verses correctly, they have misunderstood them or they have deliberately misrepresented what the texts actually say. 

 

There are, in fact, a number of different ways to understand the command by God to Noah, that answer this supposed contradiction 

 

The main issue here is the understanding that In Genesis chapter 6 Noah is specifically told that only two of each kind were to be taken onto the ark. However, when we harmonise the two passages in context we will see that it is very possible that Noah was simply being told by God that the animals must be taken in by two, as in by pairs, specifically a male and a female, not that he is being commanded to take just two of each kind. 

 

There are, in fact, multiple commentaries that state this very thing:

 

Verses 19-21. – And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort (literally, by twos, i.e. in pairs) shalt thou bring into 

Pulpit commentary on Genesis 6:19 

 

Of all flesh two; i.e. either,

 

1. By couples, or male and female; but this is mentioned as a distinct thing in the close of the verse. Or rather,

Matthew Poole commentary on Genesis 6:19 

 

And of all the living. – For the sake of Noah, the animal species also shall be preserved, “two of each, male and female.” They are to come in pairs for propagation.

Barnes Notes on the Bible on Genesis 6:19 

(I will here concede that the Barnes commentary may well indicate that although the animals would come by pairs, there would be just one pair (two of each, a male and female.) But what it does show is that a pair is what is being understood by the text .  

 

All of these are available on the BibleHub commentary page for Genesis 6:19 

 

“By pairs”  is also how the Septuagint renders the verse. 

 

Genesis 6:19 And of all cattle and of all reptiles and of all wild beasts, even of all flesh, thou shalt bring by pairs of all, into the ark, that thou mayest feed them with thyself: male and female they shall be.
Brentons Septuagint 

 

Rather than being told that only two animals would be brought onto the ark, it is, as already stated, a strong possibility that the command is only that the animals would be brought onto the ark in pairs of male and female. 

 

Then in Genesis 7 the commandment is more specific to the actual number of those two, the pairs, the male and the female that Noah had to take on board.  In this command we see that there must be seven pairs, the male and female, of the clean animals and just one pair of the unclean animals, the male and his female. 

 

So we see that although the animals would come by two’s (a pair, male and female.) there would actually be seven pairs of clean animals. 

If we look at the Hebrew of Genesis 7:2:

מִכֹּ֣ל  הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה  הַטְּהֹורָ֗ה  תִּֽקַּח־  לְךָ֛  שִׁבְעָ֥ה  שִׁבְעָ֖ה  אִ֣ישׁ  וְאִשְׁתֹּ֑ו  וּמִן־  הַבְּהֵמָ֡ה  אֲ֠שֶׁר  לֹ֣א  טְהֹרָ֥ה  הִ֛וא  שְׁנַ֖יִם  אִ֥ישׁ  וְאִשְׁתֹּֽו׃ 

What we will see is that the Hebrew here actually uses the word  שִׁבְעָ֥ה שִׁבְעָ֥ה sheba or shibah which means seven, twice.   So the Hebrew states seven seven not simply seven. A male and his female. There would be seven male and seven female of the clean animals. 

 

Of the unclean animals, it simply states two, a male and his female. This would be one couple. 

 

Then when it comes to verse 9 where the animals actually enter the ark they went in two at a time, not that only two of each animal entered. 

Let’s have a look at some other translations of this verse. 

 

Genesis 7:9 they all went into the ark to Noah by twos, male and female, as God had commanded Noah. NASB 

Genesis 7:9 Two by two they entered with Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah. Aramaic in plain English 

Genesis 7:9 two by two they have come in unto Noah, unto the ark, a male and a female, as God hath commanded Noah. Young’s literal 

 

Pairs is the reading of the Septuagint

Genesis 7:9 pairs went in to Noe into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noe.

 

The JPS Tanakh 1917 reads two and two, male and female. 

 

Genesis 7:9 there went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah.

 

Rashi has that they went in two and two and so were equal:

 

TWO AND TWO —In this number they were all equal — the least number was two
Rabbi Rashi on Genesis 7:9 

 

While the KJV does read two and two in verse 9, the “and” is not present in the Hebrew. The Hebrew reads שְׁנַ֨יִם  שְׁנַ֜יִם šə-na-yim šə-na-yim two two 

שְׁנַ֨יִם  שְׁנַ֜יִם  בָּ֧אוּ  אֶל־  נֹ֛חַ  אֶל־  הַתֵּבָ֖ה  זָכָ֣ר  וּנְקֵבָ֑ה  כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר  צִוָּ֥ה  אֱלֹהִ֖ים  אֶת־  נֹֽחַ׃ 

 

The verse in no way says that only two of each entered the Ark but rather they entered the Ark by two’s, two by two. 

 

This is further demonstrated in verses 15 and 16 of chapter 7 

 

Genesis 7:15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.16 And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in.

 

Again the Hebrew simply reads  שְׁנַ֤יִם  שְׁנַ֙יִם֙ šə-na-yim šə-na-yim two two :

וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ  אֶל־  נֹ֖חַ  אֶל־  הַתֵּבָ֑ה  שְׁנַ֤יִם  שְׁנַ֙יִם֙  מִכָּל־  הַבָּשָׂ֔ר  אֲשֶׁר־  בֹּ֖ו  ר֥וּחַ  חַיִּֽים׃ 

 

Other versions such as young’s literal read two by two:

Genesis 7:15 And they come in unto Noah, unto the ark, two by two of all the flesh in which is a living spirit;
Youngs literal translation

 

Again the Septuagint reads pairs.

Genesis 7:15 went in to Noe into the ark, pairs, male and female of all flesh in which is the breath of life.

 

The NET Bible also reads pairs.

 

Genesis 7:15 Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life came into the ark to Noah.

 

The animals went into the ark in pairs, a male and a female, 

 

While it may on first examination seem like Noah was being told to take only one pair of each animal the context and full understanding would indicate that it was simply by pairs that the animals were to be taken into the ark and that further information was given there would be seven pairs of clean animals but just one pair of the unclean. 

 

Others have understood this to mean that in Genesis 6 God does instruct Noah to take two of each animal, one pair,  but that he later expounds the command so that there would be seven pairs of the clean animals. 

 

John Gill states that there would be at least two of each sort and not fewer but of the clean animals there would be more:

 

And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark,…. That is, of fowls, cattle, and creeping things, as after explained; and two of each sort at least were to be brought, as Jarchi observes, and not fewer; though of the clean sort there were to be more, even seven, as after directed; and these were to be brought, that they might preserve their species, as it follows:

John Gills Exposition of the entire Bible on Genesis 6:19

This is also noted in Matthew Poole’s commentary in point 2 (point 1 already shown)

2. Two at least of every sort, even of the unclean; but of the clean more, as is noted Genesis 7:2.
Matthew Poole commentary on Genesis 6:19 

 

Christian apologetics website Answers in Genesis offer this as a possible explanation: 

Despite what some skeptics have claimed, this is not a contradiction. In God’s original command (Genesis 6:20), He did not say that only two of each kind would come to Noah. It is perfectly appropriate for the Lord to expand upon His original statement by giving Noah some extra information.
https://answersingenesis.org/noahs-ark/did-noah-bring-fourteen-or-seven-animals/

 

Another apologetics website offers the following: 

the clean beasts and birds entered the ark “by sevens” (KJV), while the unclean animals went into the ark by twos. There is no contradiction here. Genesis 6:19 indicates that Noah was to take “two of every sort into the ark.” Then, four verses later, God supplemented this original instruction, informing Noah in a more detailed manner to take more of the clean animals. If a farmer told his son to take two of every kind of farm animal to the state fair, and then instructed his son to take several extra chickens and two extra pigs for a barbecue, would anyone accuse the farmer of contradicting himself? Certainly not

https://apologeticspress.org/how-many-animals-of-each-kind-did-noah-take-into-the-ark-656/

 

Both these apologetic websites indicate that the original command would not demand only two of each animal and then the later command expounded upon the original command to specify that the clean animals would have seven pairs. 

 

Rabbi Rashi stated that there would be no less than two, a male and a female. 

TWO OF EVERY SORT — Even of the least numerous amongst them there were not less than two—one male, the other female.

Rabbi Rashi on Genesis 6 

 

And as already shown in his comment on Genesis 7:9 he stated that the least number would be two. 

TWO AND TWO —In this number they were all equal — the least number was two
Rabbi Rashi on Genesis 7:9 

 

It is also possible that in Genesis 6 the command is actually specifically in reference to only one single pair.  God does command Noah to bring one pair of each animal onto the Ark, but then also states what that specific pair would be used for.  The pair would be brought in to “keep them alive” as declared in Genesis 6:19.

 

Genesis 6:19 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.

There is no mention of clean and unclean animals in chapter 6. The text makes no distinction between the clean and unclean, just two of each animal. 

So the verse could be, only referring to the one pair that would be brought onto the Ark to keep them alive, not the total number of pairs that would be brought onto the Ark overall. This one pair would include both clean and unclean animals. It is this one pair that would be used for propagation after they left the Ark. 

This would then allow for the other six pairs of clean animals that Noah is told to also take on board, or at least some of them, to have been used as sacrificial animals by Noah. 

We know that Noah did sacrifice at least some of the clean animals after he left the Ark as recorded in chapter 8

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.

 

Rabbi Rashi notes that the Seven was in order to allow for sacrifice after leaving the Ark 

SEVEN AND SEVEN — so many, in order that he might offer some of them as a sacrifice when leaving the Ark

Rabbi Rashi on Genesis 7

 

This of course answers another question that people often ask. How did Noah know which animals were clean and which ones were unclean?

 

For this we need to go back and look closer at Genesis 6:19 we see that Noah is told the animals would come to him.

Genesis 6:19 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. 20 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.

Noah did not go and collect the animals, they came to him. If there were seven pairs then the animal was clean and if there was just one pair then the animal was unclean. As Noah only made sacrifices of the clean animals there was no need for any more than the two unclean as they would be the two that “kept them alive”. 

When we understand these passages correctly there is no contradiction between them. 

 

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