Genesis 7:15 kjv
And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.
Genesis 7:15 nkjv
And they went into the ark to Noah, two by two, of all flesh in which is the breath of life.
Genesis 7:15 niv
Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life in them came to Noah and entered the ark.
Genesis 7:15 esv
They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life.
Genesis 7:15 nlt
Two by two they came into the boat, representing every living thing that breathes.
Genesis 7 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 6:19 | You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures... to keep them alive. | God's command for animal preservation. |
| Gen 6:17 | I will bring floodwaters... to destroy all life... that has the breath of life. | Scope of destruction matching salvation. |
| Gen 7:2-3 | Of every clean animal you shall take seven pairs... of animals that are not clean two pairs. | Specification of types and numbers. |
| Gen 7:8-9 | Of clean animals... two by two they went into the ark. | Reinforces the "two by two" entry. |
| Gen 7:16 | And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh... as God had commanded. | God's command fully obeyed and executed. |
| Gen 2:7 | The LORD God formed the man... and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life... | Origin of "breath of life" concept. |
| Gen 9:10, 15 | ...my covenant with every living creature that was with you... | Covenant includes saved creatures post-flood. |
| Job 34:14-15 | If he were to set his heart on it and withdraw his spirit and breath... | God's ultimate power over life and breath. |
| Ps 104:29-30 | When you hide your face, they are terrified; when you take away their breath, they die. | God is the giver and sustainer of life. |
| Ecc 3:19 | For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; they all have the same breath. | Shared biological life among creatures. |
| Matt 24:37-39 | As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. | Noah's day as a type for final judgment. |
| Lk 17:26-27 | Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. | Jesus warns about unawareness before judgment. |
| Heb 11:7 | By faith Noah... built an ark to save his family. | Noah's obedience driven by faith. |
| 1 Pet 3:20-21 | ...in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism... now saves you... | Ark as a type of salvation through Christ. |
| 2 Pet 2:5 | If he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah... | God's judgment and preservation. |
| Ps 36:6 | ...You preserve man and beast, O LORD. | God's role in preserving all life. |
| Prv 2:7 | He stores up sound wisdom for the upright... | Wisdom applies to orderly creation. |
| Jon 3:7 | ...man and beast be covered with sackcloth... | Humans and animals linked in judgment context. |
| Rom 8:20-22 | For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly... | All creation affected by human fall, awaiting redemption. |
| Acts 4:12 | Salvation is found in no one else... no other name... we must be saved. | Exclusivity of salvation. |
| Isa 65:25 | The wolf and the lamb shall feed together... | Prophecy of harmonious animal existence. |
| Rev 11:18 | ...and destroy those who destroy the earth. | God's ultimate judgment over destructive acts. |
Genesis 7 verses
Genesis 7 15 Meaning
Genesis 7:15 describes the divinely orchestrated arrival of living creatures into Noah's ark. It highlights the precise execution of God's command for preservation, demonstrating His sovereign control over all creation. The verse underscores the universal scope of the pre-flood lifeforms and God's particular design for life, where salvation was exclusively found within the ark.
Genesis 7 15 Context
Genesis chapter 7 details the actual commencement of the great flood, serving as the climax of God's judgment against the pervasive wickedness of humanity and the earth. Following God's detailed instructions to Noah in chapter 6, this chapter sees the divine plan unfold precisely. Verse 15 follows the specific listing of animals by "kind" in previous verses (Gen 7:13-14) and emphasizes their precise entry into the ark. The historical context is that of a corrupt world facing divine wrath, with the ark representing the sole refuge. This account highlights God's absolute sovereignty over creation, His unwavering commitment to both judgment and a specific preservation plan. The careful details of the animals' entry contrast sharply with other ancient Near Eastern flood myths, where deities were capricious and animal collection less ordered, emphasizing the singular, orderly purpose of the One true God.
Genesis 7 15 Word analysis
- And they went in: (Hebrew: bā’û) – This term, often implying volition, indicates that the animals entered willingly or were supernaturally compelled by God. It signifies an orderly, peaceful procession, not a forced herding by Noah, affirming God's direct orchestrating power over His creation. The language suggests a divine magnetic pull.
- to Noah: Indicates that Noah was the recipient, the steward of this divine gathering, and the ark was his ark under God's instruction, confirming his unique role and obedience.
- into the ark: (Hebrew: tēḇāh) – This specific Hebrew word, used only for Noah's ark and Moses' basket (Ex 2:3), denotes a divinely purposed vessel of salvation and preservation. It highlights the ark as the exclusive place of safety, physically and spiritually, from God's wrath.
- two by two: (Hebrew: shnayim shnayim) – The repetition emphasizes the exactness and pairing. This highlights God's orderly design for life's continuation through procreation (male and female) and the precision of His divine command, demonstrating the deliberate preservation of genetic diversity and the pre-ordained sexual distinctions for reproduction.
- of all flesh: (Hebrew: kol-bāśār) – Encompasses the vast diversity of animal life, not just selected species, indicating the comprehensive nature of the judgment against terrestrial life and the breadth of God's salvific purpose to preserve animal kinds, affirming God's creative ownership over all living beings. This differentiates them from human beings in earlier accounts (Gen 6:3) while connecting them through the "breath of life."
- wherein is the breath of life: (Hebrew: rūaḥ ḥayyîm) – This distinguishes living, breathing creatures from plant life or inanimate objects, emphasizing the commonality of divine life force within animals and humans (as seen in Gen 2:7). It underlines that God is the sole source of life and that life itself, being divinely breathed, necessitates His sovereign act of judgment and preservation.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And they went in to Noah into the ark": This phrase captures the immediate and compliant response of creation to God's unseen power, flowing seamlessly into the single haven provided by God. It underscores the active role of the animals, moved by divine influence, responding to the divinely appointed sanctuary.
- "two by two of all flesh": This specifies the pattern and the scope. The pairing ensures multiplication and continuation of species according to God's established created order (Gen 1:24). "All flesh" implies universality, emphasizing God's complete sweep of judgment and the comprehensiveness of the salvation for living beings He intended to preserve.
- "wherein is the breath of life": This final qualifier defines the types of creatures entering the ark: those endowed with active, vibrant biological life through divine imputation, excluding anything lacking that life spark. It emphasizes that the judgment targeted precisely those who bore God's animating spirit.
Genesis 7 15 Bonus section
- The passage implies that God directly caused the animals to "come to" Noah (as promised in Gen 6:20), and here in Gen 7:15, they "went in." This subtly conveys that the animals' compliance was not Noah's effort but God's divine power working through His creation, making Noah a steward of God's act, not a gatherer by human means.
- The repetitive nature of "two by two" throughout these verses (e.g., Gen 6:19-20, 7:9, 7:15-16) is a literary device to underscore the divine precision, order, and faithfulness in fulfilling the covenantal promise of preservation.
- The phrase "breath of life" ties directly back to creation (Gen 2:7) and is subsequently mentioned as the universal descriptor of what will be destroyed by the flood (Gen 6:17, 7:22), thus reinforcing that only those endowed with this divine life were subject to God's judgment and consequently, preserved.
Genesis 7 15 Commentary
Genesis 7:15 is a potent declaration of God's unwavering sovereignty and meticulous faithfulness. It presents the fulfillment of His specific command, demonstrating divine precision in the face of widespread judgment. The spontaneous, orderly entrance of the creatures into the ark signifies a miraculous intervention, emphasizing that Noah's role was one of faithful obedience rather than active collection. This divine assembly points to the meticulous nature of God's plan for both judgment and preservation, where not a single creature deemed worthy of continuation was omitted. The ark served as the singular, divinely appointed vessel for salvation, paralleling the exclusive salvation found in Christ. It teaches that salvation from divine judgment is found only in the place and by the means God has provided, encompassing every creature designed by His "breath of life."