Two of Every Kind

Yesterday we learned that the biblical “kind” is usually at the level of family in our modern classification system. This knowledge is important for understanding how Noah could fit the animals on the ark.

You see, many people think Noah brought two of every “species” on the ark. But what does the text actually say? Noah needed two of every kind of land-dwelling, air-breathing creature … and seven pairs of some. No sea creatures … and probably no insects.

“Kind” is different from “species.” Noah didn’t need tigers, lions, and cheetahs. He needed only two representatives of the cat kind or family. Noah probably had only fifteen hundred kinds at the most, on the ark!

Dig Deeper

• Feedback: What Does “Two of Every Kind” Mean?
• Chimp-Human Hybridization: Two of a Kind or Two Different Kinds?