According to Genesis, how many pairs of clean animals entered Noah’s Ark?

According to Genesis, Noah took seven pairs of clean animals onto the Ark.

Genesis 7:2 instructs Noah to take seven pairs of every clean animal, consisting of a male and its female, while taking one pair of each kind of animal that was not clean. Genesis 7:3 gives a similar instruction for birds, again using seven pairs.

This detail is distinct from the broader phrase “two of every kind,” which appears elsewhere in the Flood account. The seven-pair instruction is often discussed because it creates a numerical difference between clean and unclean animals. Some translations render the Hebrew wording as “seven” or “seven pairs,” so the exact counting convention can vary by translation.

Genesis does not provide a complete species list or explain the later Jewish classification system in detail. The clean-animal distinction is connected to sacrifice, because Noah later builds an altar and offers burnt offerings after leaving the Ark.