Genesis 6:20 tells Noah that two of every kind of bird, livestock, and creeping thing will come to him so that their lives can be preserved through the coming flood. The verse is God’s instruction, spoken to Noah just before the flood begins, and it shows that the rescue plan includes the animals as well as Noah’s family.
Of the birds after their kind, of the livestock after their kind, of every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort will come to you, to keep them alive.
Genesis 6:20 (WEB)
What Genesis 6:20 Means
The verse sorts the animals into three groups: birds, livestock, and creatures that move along the ground. Within each group, God says to take them “after their kind,” which means each animal is kept according to its own type rather than mixed together or chosen at random. Two of every sort is a way of saying a breeding pair of each kind, one male and one female, so that each species can continue after the waters recede.
The phrase “to keep them alive” states the purpose plainly. The animals are not being gathered for food, sport, or display. They are being preserved. The verse promises that God will provide a way for these creatures to survive the judgment that is coming on the earth.
What the verse does not do is explain every detail of how the animals would be gathered or fed. It also does not say that every creature is saved by the ark in the same way humans are. The focus is on the practical command to preserve life through the flood, and on God’s care that reaches down to creatures that cannot understand what is happening.
The Context of Genesis 6:20
Genesis is the first book of the Torah, traditionally attributed to Moses and read by Israel as the opening account of creation, human sin, and God’s covenant faithfulness. The flood story in chapters 6 through 9 was first heard by a people who needed to understand that God judges wickedness but also preserves a remnant through his promise.
The verses just before this one, in Genesis 6:17-19, show God announcing the flood and establishing his covenant with Noah. Verses 21 and 22 follow with instructions about food and Noah’s obedience. Read in that sequence, verse 20 is part of God’s careful preparation for a judgment that destroys “all flesh” while still keeping living things alive. The animals are included in the covenant of preservation, which changes how the verse reads: it is less about animal logistics and more about God’s determination to carry life through the disaster.
Key Phrases in Genesis 6:20
Genesis 8:1
God remembered Noah, all the animals, and all the livestock that were with him in the ship; and God made a wind to pass over the earth. The waters subsided.
(WEB)
This verse follows the flood narrative and shows God remembering Noah and the animals with him. It completes the picture begun in verse 20 by showing that God’s concern for the creatures in the ark was active and faithful through the long months of waiting.
Psalm 36:6
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God. Your judgments are like a great deep. The LORD, you preserve man and animal.
(WEB)
Psalm 36 describes God’s steadfast love and faithfulness reaching to the heavens, and it praises him for preserving both people and animals. The psalm echoes the theme of God’s sustaining care found in Genesis 6:20.
A Short Prayer From Genesis 6:20
Lord, you saw the flood coming and still made a way to keep living things alive. Thank you that your care reaches even to the creatures that cannot ask for it. When I feel that something I love is at risk, help me remember your faithfulness to preserve what you have made. Give me patience to trust your timing and wisdom to act with care. Keep my heart steady in the waiting, and let me rest in the assurance that you do not forget the life you have created. Amen.
