The Meaning of Genesis 7:2 Explained

Genesis 7:2

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.

YLT: of 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;

Darby: Of 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.

ASV: Of 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:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Genesis 7:2 Mean?

Study Notes

clean beast
Cf.
two of every sort
Cf Genesis 7:2 .
In addition to two animals, etc., commanded ( Genesis 6:19 ) to be preserved for future increase ("they shall be male and female"), the further command was given more than 100 years later to take of clean beasts, i.e, acceptable for sacrifice, seven each. Exodus gives ten such beasts, or but seventy in all. Modern ships carry hundreds of live beasts, with their food, besides scores of human beings.

Context Summary

Genesis 7:1-24 - The Great Flood
What anguish! They climbed the highest story of their towers, then to the hills, but the greedy waters followed them, till the last crag was covered, and all living things in the first homes of human life had perished. Equally sudden and unexpected shall be the days of the Son of Man. See Luke 17:26; 2 Peter 3:7. But what drowns other men only lifts the child of God nearer his home. The waters bear up the ark. When the loftiest refuges of lies and pride are submerged, and the whole landscape is covered with a monotonous waste of trouble, God says to the soul, "Come into the ark." It is as though He is inside and wants us to enter into close fellowship with Himself. See Psalms 27:5. When God shuts the door behind us, no power can force, no skeleton key can unlock, and no wedge can pry the door. For the extent of the Deluge it is appropriate to consider Luke 2:1-3. [source]

Chapter Summary: Genesis 7

1  Noah, his family and the living creatures enter the ark
6  The flood begins
17  The increase of the flood for forty days
21  All flesh is destroyed by it
24  Its duration of 150 days

What do the individual words in Genesis 7:2 mean?

Of every animal clean you shall take with you seven seven a male and his female and of animals that not clean are two [each] and his female
מִכֹּ֣ל ׀ הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה הַטְּהוֹרָ֗ה תִּֽקַּח־ לְךָ֛ שִׁבְעָ֥ה שִׁבְעָ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וּמִן־ הַבְּהֵמָ֡ה אֲ֠שֶׁר לֹ֣א טְהֹרָ֥ה הִ֛וא שְׁנַ֖יִם וְאִשְׁתּֽוֹ

מִכֹּ֣ל ׀  Of  every 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה  animal 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
הַטְּהוֹרָ֗ה  clean 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָהֹור  
Sense: pure, clean.
תִּֽקַּח־  you  shall  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
לְךָ֛  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
שִׁבְעָ֥ה  seven 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
שִׁבְעָ֖ה  seven 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁבַע  
Sense: seven (cardinal number).
אִ֣ישׁ  a  male 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וְאִשְׁתּ֑וֹ  and  his  female 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
הַבְּהֵמָ֡ה  of  animals 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּהֵמָה  
Sense: beast, cattle, animal.
אֲ֠שֶׁר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
טְהֹרָ֥ה  clean 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: טָהֹור  
Sense: pure, clean.
שְׁנַ֖יִם  two  [each] 
Parse: Number, md
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
וְאִשְׁתּֽוֹ  and  his  female 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.