Verse

Genesis 7:8

ESV Of clean animals, and of animals that are not clean, and of birds, and of everything that creeps on the ground,
NIV Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground,
NASB Of clean animals and animals that are not clean and birds and everything that crawls on the ground,
CSB From the clean animals, unclean animals, birds, and every creature that crawls on the ground,
NLT With them were all the various kinds of animals — those approved for eating and for sacrifice and those that were not — along with all the birds and the small animals that scurry along the ground.
KJV Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,
NKJV Of clean animals, of animals that are unclean, of birds, and of everything that creeps on the earth,

What does Genesis 7:8 mean?

Verses 8 and 9 describe pairs of animals, insects, and birds entering the ark. Previous verses revealed that additional clean animals were included, for a total of seven pairs (Genesis 7:2). Some of these would be sacrificed after the flood as an offering to God. God's intent in the flood is to destroy the entire human race (Genesis 6:17), in judgment of their outrageous sin (Genesis 6:11–12). Preserving the animals is God's way of maintaining those creatures after the flood (Genesis 7:3).

Earlier verses indicated these animals were sent to the ark by God (Genesis 6:20). Noah was not scrambling around trying to catch unwilling creatures. At the same time, from the moment God tells Noah to board the ark, to the point these preparations are complete, a full week has passed. And not a moment too soon, since the flood occurs on the very same day they finally enter the ark (Genesis 7:13).
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