ࠌࠊࠋ ࠄࠁࠄࠌࠄ ࠄࠈࠄࠓࠄ ࠕࠒࠇ ࠋࠊ ࠔࠁࠏࠄ ࠔࠁࠏࠄ ࠆࠊࠓ ࠅࠍࠒࠁࠄ ࠅࠌࠍ ࠄࠁࠄࠌࠄ ࠀࠔࠓ ࠋࠀ ࠈࠄࠓࠄ ࠄࠉࠀ ࠔࠍࠉࠌ ࠔࠍࠉࠌ ࠆࠊࠓ ࠅࠍࠒࠁࠄ
Gen. 7:2 [Samaritan Pentateuch]
מכל הבהמה הטהרה תקח לך שבעה שבעה זכר ונקבה ומן הבהמה אשר לא טהרה היא שנים שנים זכר ונקבה׃
From every clean animal, you shall take for yourself seven seven, male and female, and from the animal which is not clean, it is two two, male and female.
Gen. 7:2 [Masoretic Text]
מִכֹּ֣ל הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה הַטְּהֹורָ֗ה תִּֽקַּח־לְךָ֛ שִׁבְעָ֥ה שִׁבְעָ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשְׁתֹּ֑ו וּמִן־הַבְּהֵמָ֡ה אֲ֠שֶׁר לֹ֣א טְהֹרָ֥ה הִ֛וא שְׁנַ֖יִם אִ֥ישׁ וְאִשְׁתֹּֽו׃
From every clean animal you shall take seven pairs, a male and his female, and from the animals that are not clean, two, a male and his female.
| Number | Hebrew | Samaritan | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | מכל | ࠌࠊࠋ | Of every |
| 2 | הבהמה | ࠄࠁࠄࠌࠄ | The animals |
| 3 | הטהרה | ࠄࠈࠄࠓࠄ | The clean |
| 4 | תקח | ࠕࠒࠇ | You shall take |
| 5 | לך | ࠋࠊ | For yourself |
| 6 | שבעה | ࠔࠁࠏࠄ | Seven |
| 7 | שבעה | ࠔࠁࠏࠄ | Seven |
| 8 | זכר | ࠆࠊࠓ | Male |
| 9 | ונקבה | ࠅࠍࠒࠁࠄ | And female |
| 10 | ומן | ࠅࠌࠍ | And of |
| 11 | הבהמה | ࠄࠁࠄࠌࠄ | The animals |
| 12 | אשר | ࠀࠔࠓ | That |
| 13 | לא | ࠋࠀ | Are not |
| 14 | טהרה | ࠈࠄࠓࠄ | Clean |
| 15 | היא | ࠄࠉࠀ | They |
| 16 | שנים | ࠔࠍࠉࠌ | Two |
| 17 | שנים | ࠔࠍࠉࠌ | Two |
| 18 | זכר | ࠆࠊࠓ | Male |
| 19 | ונקבה | ࠅࠍࠒࠁࠄ | And female |
Morphology
- מִכֹּ֣ל (mikkol) – Root: כל (k-l); Form: Preposition מִן + noun, singular masculine with definite article; Translation: “From every”; Notes: Indicates the source or type.
- הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה (habbehēmah) – Root: בהמה (b-h-m-h); Form: Noun, singular feminine with definite article ה; Translation: “the animal”; Notes: Refers to domesticated or clean animals.
- הַטְּהֹורָ֗ה (hattəhōrah) – Root: טהור (ṭ-h-r); Form: Adjective, singular feminine with definite article ה; Translation: “the clean”; Notes: Describes animals that are ritually pure.
- תִּֽקַּח־לְךָ֛ (tiqqaḥ-ləḵā) – Root: לקח (l-q-ḥ); Form: Qal imperfect, second masculine singular + prepositional suffix; Translation: “you shall take for yourself”; Notes: Imperative command directed at Noaḥ.
- שִׁבְעָ֥ה שִׁבְעָ֖ה (shivʿāh shivʿāh) – Root: שבע (š-b-ʿ); Form: Cardinal number, repeated for emphasis; Translation: “seven pairs”; Notes: Indicates the number of animals to be taken.
- אִ֣ישׁ (ʾîš) – Root: איש (ʾ-ʾ-š); Form: Noun, singular masculine; Translation: “a male”; Notes: Specifies the gender of the animal.
- וְאִשְׁתֹּ֑ו (wəʾištō) – Root: אשה (ʾ-š-h); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun, singular feminine with possessive suffix; Translation: “and his female”; Notes: Refers to the counterpart of the male animal.
- וּמִן־הַבְּהֵמָ֡ה (ūmin-habbehēmah) – Root: בהמה (b-h-m-h); Form: Conjunction וּ + preposition מִן + noun, singular feminine with definite article; Translation: “and from the animal”; Notes: Introduces the category of unclean animals.
- אֲ֠שֶׁר (ʾăšer) – Root: N/A (relative pronoun); Form: Particle; Translation: “that”; Notes: Links the description of the unclean animal.
- לֹ֣א טְהֹרָ֥ה (lōʾ ṭəhōrah) – Root: טהור (ṭ-h-r); Form: Negative particle לֹא + adjective, singular feminine; Translation: “not clean”; Notes: Indicates ritual impurity.
- הִ֛וא (hîʾ) – Root: N/A (pronoun); Form: Independent pronoun, feminine singular; Translation: “it”; Notes: Refers to the unclean animal.
- שְׁנַ֖יִם (šnayim) – Root: שנים (š-n-y-m); Form: Cardinal number, masculine dual; Translation: “two”; Notes: Specifies the number of unclean animals.
- אִ֥ישׁ (ʾîš) – Root: איש (ʾ-ʾ-š); Form: Noun, singular masculine; Translation: “a male”; Notes: Specifies the male unclean animal.
- וְאִשְׁתֹּֽו (wəʾištō) – Root: אשה (ʾ-š-h); Form: Conjunction וְ + noun, singular feminine with possessive suffix; Translation: “and his female”; Notes: Specifies the counterpart of the male unclean animal.
Textual Commentary on Genesis 7:2
Both the Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) and the Masoretic Text (MT) contain the instruction given to Noah regarding the number of animals he is to bring into the ark. The differences between these two versions are subtle but significant:
| Text | Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) | Masoretic Text (MT) |
|---|---|---|
| Phrase for Clean Animals | מכל הבהמה הטהרה תקח לך שבעה שבעה זכר ונקבה | מכל הבהמה הטהורה תקח־לך שבעה שבעה איש ואשתו |
| Phrase for Unclean Animals | ומן הבהמה אשר לא טהרה היא שנים שנים זכר ונקבה | ומן־הבהמה אשר לא טהורה היא שנים איש ואשתו |
| Notable Differences | Uses “טהרה” (feminine form) for clean animals; repeats “היא” for unclean animals. | Uses “טהורה” (feminine form); describes the pairs as “איש ואשתו” (“a man and his wife”). |
Key Observations
- Grammatical Variance in “Clean” and “Unclean” – The MT uses טהורה (feminine singular) for “clean,” while the SP uses טהרה (an alternate spelling without the waw). The MT also includes היא (“she/it is”) for unclean animals, which is redundant in the SP.
- The Pairing Terminology: “Male and Female” vs. “Man and His Wife” – The SP explicitly states זכר ונקבה (“male and female”) for both clean and unclean animals. The MT uses איש ואשתו (“a man and his wife”) rather than זכר ונקבה, which is typically used for human relationships.
Interpretation and Possible Scribal Developments
The Use of “Man and His Wife” in the Masoretic Text
The MT’s phrase “איש ואשתו” (“a man and his wife”) appears unusual when referring to animals. This may indicate a later scribal adaptation for consistency with Genesis 6:18 and 7:7, where Noah and his family enter the ark in pairs (“a man and his wife”).
The SP retains the more expected זכר ונקבה (“male and female”), which aligns with Genesis 6:19, where God commands Noah to bring animals into the ark by “two, male and female.”
Numerical Clarification: “Seven Seven” vs. “Seven Pairs”
Both the SP and MT repeat שבעה שבעה, which could mean either “seven and seven” (total of fourteen) or “seven pairs” (which would also be fourteen).
The MT’s phrase “איש ואשתו” might imply “pairs,” supporting the interpretation that Noah took seven pairs (fourteen animals). The SP lacks this clarification, which might lead to an interpretation of either “seven animals total” or “seven pairs.”
Orthographic Differences and Dialectal Variations
The SP frequently features minor spelling differences compared to the MT. The absence of waw in טהרה (SP) compared to טהורה (MT) is a typical example of orthographic variation rather than a significant semantic change.
The redundancy of היא in the SP for the unclean animals might reflect an older or different dialectal feature.
Textual Witnesses and Versions
- Septuagint (LXX) – The LXX follows the Hebrew שבעה שבעה and translates it literally as ἑπτὰ ἑπτὰ (“seven seven”), without explicitly clarifying whether this means seven animals or seven pairs (fourteen animals).
- Targum Onkelos – This Aramaic paraphrase follows the MT but avoids the phrase איש ואשתו, using דכר ונוקבה (“male and female”), closer to the Samaritan reading.
Theological and Interpretive Implications
Why Seven for Clean Animals?
The increase in the number of clean animals likely anticipates post-flood sacrifices (Genesis 8:20), where Noah offers clean animals in worship.
The distinction between clean and unclean appears before the giving of the Torah, suggesting an early recognition of ritual purity.
Ethical and Symbolic Meaning
The MT’s choice of “a man and his wife” for animals could reflect an anthropomorphic metaphor, reinforcing the orderly, pair-based preservation of life.
The SP’s use of “male and female” aligns more naturally with Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 6:19.
Conclusion
The differences between the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Masoretic Text in Genesis 7:2 revolve around grammatical details, the numerical interpretation of “seven seven,” and the phrasing of gender pairs. The MT’s use of “איש ואשתו” for animals is an interpretive choice not found in the SP, which retains זכר ונקבה. The LXX remains ambiguous, preserving “seven seven” without further clarification.
Both traditions preserve the essential meaning of the passage, but the MT’s choice of terminology introduces a layer of interpretive complexity.