According to Genesis, Noah took seven pairs of clean animals from each kind into the Ark.
Genesis 7:2 distinguishes clean animals from animals that were not clean. It instructs Noah to take seven pairs of the clean animals, while Genesis 7:2–3 gives one pair of the animals that were not clean and seven pairs of birds. The wording is sometimes translated as “seven” of each clean animal, creating a long-standing translation discussion over whether it means seven individuals or seven pairs.
The common English rendering “seven pairs” follows the interpretation that the passage specifies male-and-female sets. Clean animals could later be used in Noah’s sacrifice, which helps explain why the narrative gives them a larger number.
This count is separate from the Ark’s total animal population. Genesis does not provide a single complete total for every creature aboard.