Sevens, pairs, and the entry (Genesis 7:2–16)

Says Of every clean beast Noah is to take שִׁבְעָה שִׁבְעָה, seven seven, a man and his wife, and of the beast that is not clean, two (7:2). Of the birds, seven seven, male and female, to keep seed alive (7:3). The BSB has seven pairs; its footnote gives by sevens. Swete has ἑπτὰ ἑπτὰ ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ. The distinction of clean and not clean is named here, before Leviticus 11. In 7:8–9 they come שְׁנַיִם שְׁנַיִם, two two, male and female, as God commanded Noah, the wording of 6:19–20. See the Hebrew and Greek notes, and the notes on Genesis 6.

Implies The doubled numeral is distributive, as two two in 7:9 and 7:15 is two by two: by sevens. The grammar gives a grouping; it does not give the size of each group.

Uncertain What a group of seven is, is open, and no lean is taken. (1) Seven animals: ground, the numeral counts heads, as two does before a man and his wife; objection, seven does not divide into pairs. (2) Seven pairs, as the BSB: ground, a man and his wife follows the numeral; objection, the same words follow two, one pair. How the sevens stand beside the pairs of 6:19–20, 7:9 and 7:15 is also open: a fuller command for the clean, or two tellings set together. Early readings are set out in the historical note.