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.
Noah's last instructions before the flood single out one difference: the clean animals come aboard in sevens, the unclean only in pairs. That raises two questions — why God wants more of one kind, and how Noah knew which was which before any law listed them.
Two names for God run through the flood story. One writer ties the difference in numbers to the difference in names.
As to the "two of every sort" in chapter 7, and the "seven clean" in verses 2 and 3: the first were male and female, to keep them alive. When they were clean beasts, he took fourteen. I have no doubt the "clean" animals were the ones people usually offered in sacrifice. Who would offer a ravenous wild beast in sacrifice to God, but sheep or oxen? This difference between provision for the race and provision for sacrifice is tied to the different use of the two names: God (Elohim) and the LORD (Jehovah).
The way God speaks here shows more than concern for survival.
Is this only about keeping the creatures alive? No. It is the language of One who has special relationships with Noah and with his family… God is providing not merely for the creature to continue, but with marked completeness for sacrifice. So we see His perfect care to maintain His rights and His place as the One who governed morally.
The ESV reads "seven pairs" here, while older translations read "by sevens," and commentators differ on the count. Read as seven animals, six make three breeding pairs. The one left over has another purpose, seen when Noah steps out onto dry ground.
And now we discover why the clean animals were taken into the ark in sevens and the unclean only in twos… But why the odd one in the seven? Because they were to be offered as a burnt offering at the very start of the renewed earth. The Lord knew the flood had made no change in human nature. Even in Noah and his family it was the same after the flood as before… so from the very start the new world could only continue on the basis of sacrifice.
The command in the ark and the altar after it belong together, and the whole standing of the world after the flood rests on what happened there.
So we find Jehovah directing Noah to take to him of all clean animals by sevens, but of those not clean two, a male and its female, to enter the ark. And on this Noah acted when after the deluge he built an altar as his first recorded act, and offered up burnt offerings of every clean beast and of all clean birds. For the tenure of the post-flood earth hung on sacrifice.
The word "clean" later covers what may be eaten. Here it cannot mean that yet.
The first time we read of clean and unclean animals is when Noah went into the ark… We are not told how Noah told them apart. But it shows that in early days there was a distinction between clean and unclean. Those called 'clean' were doubtless clean for sacrifice, and not for food. Nothing is said of man eating animal food till after the flood, and then God gave "every moving thing" for food.
Scripture never says where Noah got his list, and commentators differ. One writer argues from the moral teaching in the later law:
Noah knew well before the flood which creatures made an acceptable sacrifice (Gen. 7:2), though how he learned it was never recorded. But in the law we read God's own definition of clean beasts and clean birds, and we find moral teaching tied to the subject (Lev. 11). We must conclude that no man could have discovered by natural intuition which creatures God would count clean and which He would not.
Darby does not settle the question.
It may have been instinct in man in a way at first, and that God put His positive sanction on it when He gave the law.
Some readers set this verse against the earlier order to bring in two of every sort, as if two accounts had been stitched together. On the other reading, the sevens are counted in pairs.
The LORD (Jehovah) is stating His thoughts about Noah and giving His directions about His relationship with man and the earth. So He tells Noah to take clean beasts by sevens, still two and two, male and female. And they all go in two and two, as God (Elohim) had commanded. The text itself ties the two names together in a way that would make separating them difficult… You would have to be very hard pressed for a difficulty, or for a discovery, to find a contradiction here.
- Name. The order for sevens comes from the LORD, not just from God the Creator. It speaks of relationship, not only of keeping species alive.
- Purpose. The extra clean beasts are for sacrifice, beyond the pairs needed to keep every kind alive.
- Seventh. On one reading, the odd animal in each seven has no mate. It goes on the altar when the ark opens.
- Foundation. Human nature came out of the flood unchanged, so the renewed earth could only stand on sacrifice.
- Knowledge. The clean and unclean line was known before any written law. Writers differ on whether God taught him or whether it began as instinct that God later confirmed.
Also of the fowl of the heavens by sevens, male and female; to keep seed alive on the face of all the earth.
Genesis 7 opens with the LORD calling Noah into the ark and sorting the animals into two groups: pairs of most kinds, sevens of the clean. Verse 3 puts the birds in the larger group, and gives the reason: to keep their offspring alive across the whole earth.
Commentators read the extra animals as provision for sacrifice, not just a surplus for breeding. The writers quoted here use an older translation, which says "by sevens" where the ESV says "seven pairs."
As to the "two of every sort" in chapter 7, and "seven clean" in verses 2, 3, the first were male and female, to keep them alive; when they were clean beasts, he took fourteen. I have no doubt the "clean" were the ones people usually gave for sacrifices. Who would offer a ravenous wild beast in sacrifice to God, but sheep or oxen?
Commentators differ on the count. Others read seven animals, with one left over after three pairs, and find that odd one's purpose on the far side of the flood.
And now we discover why Noah took the clean animals into the ark in sevens and the unclean only in twos… But why the odd one in the seven? Because Noah was to offer them up as a burnt offering at the very start of the renewed earth. The Lord knew that the flood had made no change in human nature… and so from the very start the new world could only continue on the basis of sacrifice.
The instructions in chapter 6 and those here use different names for God. Writers treat that change as the key to the different numbers. The older translation says "Jehovah" where the ESV says "the LORD."
The first mention is this: "Two of every sort shall come to you, Noah, to keep them alive." That is God's (Elohim's) care of His creatures, to preserve every kind alive on the earth. But when we read of His taking "of every clean beast by sevens, his male and his female," it is God as Jehovah who speaks. And why? Because He is now arranging, as in relationship with man, for sacrifices — types of Christ.
The birds of the air, named in this verse, are read along the same line — not merely creatures preserved, but a supply held ready for God.
It is God providing not for the perpetuation of the creature merely, but with marked completeness for sacrifice. As a result we have this perfect care over the maintenance of His rights and place as One who governed morally. "And Noah did according to all that Jehovah commanded."
Some readers set the "two of every sort" of chapter 6 against the sevens here and see a clash. One writer answers that the text itself ties the two accounts together.
Jehovah states His thoughts about Noah, and gives His directions about His relationship with man and the earth. So He tells Noah to take clean beasts by sevens — still two and two, male and female. And they all go in two and two, as Elohim had commanded. That ties the two names together in the text itself, in a way that would make separating them difficult… The birds of the air, which went in by sevens, plainly mean clean ones too, as Genesis 8:20 shows.
Nothing here explains what makes a creature clean. The verse takes it for granted that Noah already knows.
As a general principle, the difference between clean and unclean was known in early days. So we find Jehovah directing Noah to take all clean animals by sevens. But of those not clean he was to take two, a male and its female, into the ark. Noah acted on this. After the flood, his first recorded act was to build an altar and offer up burnt offerings of every clean beast and of all clean birds. For the tenure of the post-flood earth hung on sacrifice.
The reason given in verse 3 looks past the ark to the whole earth. One writer explains why the larger number mattered.
Had there been only "two of every sort," offering some in sacrifice would have put an end to those particular kinds of creatures. So the "sevens" left plenty of room both for sacrifices and "to keep seed alive on the face of all the earth."
Another writer looks further ahead, to what the rescued animals point toward.
The beasts, clean and unclean, taken into the ark, as well as the birds of the air, give us the hint that creation will share the blessed effects of salvation. The later prophetic word, and Romans 8:19-23, tell us of a coming deliverance of groaning creation.
- Preserved. Every kind enters in pairs. After the judgment the earth still has its living creatures. The waters carry creation through; they do not sweep it away.
- Doubled. The clean beasts and birds go in by sevens. That is more than survival needs, because sacrifice is in view as well as breeding.
- Offered. The extra clean animals meet the altar Noah builds when he steps out. The renewed world begins on the ground of sacrifice.
- Named. God the Creator commands the pairs. The LORD commands the sevens, speaking as One in relationship with man. The two names explain the two numbers; they do not contradict each other.
- Widened. The purpose reaches "the face of all the earth." The sevens leave room for sacrifice and for survival. Commentators see in the rescued animals a hint that creation itself will share in salvation.