Genesis 7:15

Gen 7:15 And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein [is] the breath of life.

Ver. 15. And they went in unto Noah.] Of their own accord, by an instinct from God, whose hosts all creatures are called, for their (1.) number, (2.) order, (3.) obedience. {See Trapp on "Gen 6:20"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Every living thing that God would have to be preserved on earth, came into the Ark to Noah.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 15. And they went in, &c.] It was physically impossible for Noah to have collected such a vast number of tame and ferocious animals, nor could they have been retained in their wards by mere natural means. How then were they brought from various distances to the ark and preserved there? Only by the power of God. He who first miraculously brought them to Adam that he might give them their names, now brings them to Noah that he may preserve their lives. And now we may reasonably suppose that their natural enmity was so far removed or suspended that the lion might dwell with the lamb, and the wolf lie down with the kid, though each might still require his peculiar aliment. This can be no difficulty to the power of God, without the immediate interposition of which neither the deluge nor the concomitant circumstances could have taken place.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. all flesh … breath of life] See note on Gen_6:17.

two and two] See note on Gen_6:19-20. LXX adds “male and female.”

16 (P). as God commanded him] This is evidently P’s account: notice the use of Elohim, and the phrase itself, cf. Gen_6:22, Gen_7:5; Gen_7:9.

(J) and the Lord shut him in] Notice the introduction of Jehovah. These words are evidently from J, and probably originally concluded the previous account of Noah’s entry into the ark (Gen_7:7-9) before the seven days mentioned in Gen_7:10, and before the rain (Gen_7:12).

On the anthropomorphism of this action, see note on Gen_6:6; and compare Gen_3:8, Gen_11:5.

17 (R). forty days] Cf. Gen_7:12, where the rain lasts for 40 days and 40 nights. Here it is the duration of the Flood.

18 (P). the waters prevailed] The description given in Gen_7:17 of the rising waters and of the floating ark is here repeated, in order to introduce the record of the more elaborate details contained in Gen_7:19-20.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the flood was forty days upon the earth,.... This is said with respect to what follows, and the meaning is, that when and after the flood had been upon the earth so long, then

the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth; after this they were so many and so strong that they lifted up the ark from the place where it stood, and bore it up, that it touched not the earth; and Aben Ezra from hence infers, that the ark did not remove from its place after the flood began, until forty days.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

See Poole on "Gen 7:9". i.e. All living creatures forementioned, Gen 7:14.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And they went in unto Noah into the ark (cf., Gen_6:20, which affirmed they should come) two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. Cf. the three expressions for an animated creature hYj, (Gen_1:30) sWqy:, (Gen_7:4) syYij jWr wOBArca.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Verses 13-18 repeat for a third time and give more detail about how Noah went into the ark with his family and the animals in Genesis 7:1-5. This is not a new event.

Two of all flesh

Here "flesh" represents animals. (See: Metonymy)

in which was the breath of life

Here "breath" represents life. AT: "that lived" (See: Metonymy)

came to Noah

The word "came" can be translated as "went." (See: Go and Come)

of all flesh

Here "flesh" represents animals. AT: "of every kind of animal" (See: Synecdoche)

after them

The full meaning can be stated explicitly. AT: "after they entered the ark" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

God

Yahweh

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

AND THEY CAME IN UNTO NOAH INTO THE ARK. The intent of this is to make known that the beasts, fowl, etc., did not gather to him at all, nor did they come until that selfsame day when the rains came. And he came into the ark for it was G-d that hath commanded and His breath which hath gathered them in one moment.

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

ויבאו שנים שנים, in pairs, just as the first time. They all showed up, not a single one had disappeared or joined another species.

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.