Some critics say that there is a contradiction between Genesis 6:19-20 and Genesis 7:2 on how many clean animals were to be taken onto the ark in order to survive the coming global flood. Let’s look at the verses and then an explanation.

‎ And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark to keep them alive with you. They shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground, according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you to keep them alive. (Genesis 6:19-20)‎

‎Take with you seven pairs of all clean animals, the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate ‎(Genesis 7:2)‎

This is not a contradiction. The first passage says Noah will bring a pair of all the creatures onto the ark. The second passage goes on to explain that Noah was also to bring in ‎seven pairs of every kind of ‘clean’ animal and bird.

The ‎reason for including seven pairs of the clean species is clearly for when they were to be ‎‎used for sacrificial worship after the flood had receded (‎Genesis 8:20) “Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took of every ‎clean animal and of every ‎clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.” ‎If there had not been more than ‎two of each of these clean species, they ‎would have been rendered extinct by their being ‎sacrificed on the altar. However, a single pair of unclean animals and birds would ‎suffice, since they would ‎not be needed for blood sacrifice.‎

Another reason is that God was about to allow mankind to eat meat for the first time, and Noah knew which animals were fit to be eaten and which were not, just as he knew which were clean and which were unclean.

Taken together, these passages say that two of every kind of creature must be taken onto the ark, but of those considered clean, take 6 extra pairs.

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