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.

GENESIS 6:19KJV
Know the Bible

Genesis 6:19 (KJV)

What does Genesis 6:19 mean?

Genesis 6:19 says that Noah is to bring two of every kind of living creature, one male and one female, into the ark with him so they will survive the coming flood. This instruction is about preserving all types of animal life during the disaster God is about to send.

In this verse, God is speaking directly to Noah, giving him specific directions as Noah prepares for the flood. The focus is on "every living thing of all flesh," meaning all animals, not just a select few. The requirement that they be "male and female" highlights the purpose: to ensure that each kind can continue and repopulate the earth after the flood.

The Hebrew behind Genesis 6:19

  • "thing" (חַי H2416, ḥay): This word means "living thing" or "creature." It emphasizes that what is being preserved are living beings, not just species in an abstract sense.
  • "flesh" (בָּשָׂר H1320, basar): This term often refers to living beings with physical bodies, underlining that the command includes all animals with flesh, not just domesticated or familiar ones.
  • "ark" (תֵּבָה H8392, tevah): This word is used only for Noah's ark and the basket of baby Moses, suggesting a vessel of preservation and rescue.
  • "alive" (חָיָה H2421, ḥayah): This verb means "to live" or "to keep alive," clarifying that the goal is not just to store animals but to ensure their survival through the flood.

Why Genesis 6:19 matters

  • Genesis 6:19 clarifies that the preservation of animal life was intentional and organized, not random or accidental, showing the care taken in the story's details.
  • The verse underscores the importance of both male and female animals, pointing to the need for future reproduction and the ongoing survival of each species.
  • This instruction connects to the broader flood narrative, showing Noah's obedience and the thoroughness of God's plan to restart life after the flood.

Where else these words appear

“female” Hebrew H5347 · used in 22 verses

  • Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
  • Leviticus 4:28 Or if his sin, which he hath sinned, come to his knowledge: then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned.
  • Leviticus 27:5 And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy estimation shall be of the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels.

“ark” Hebrew H8392 · used in 25 verses

  • Genesis 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
  • Genesis 7:15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.
  • Genesis 8:10 And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;

“male” Hebrew H2145 · used in 80 verses

  • Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
  • Leviticus 12:7 Who shall offer it before the LORD, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female.
  • Deuteronomy 4:16 Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,