Genesis 6:21

New American Standard Bible

"As for you, take for yourself some of every food that is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and them."

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up. It shall serve as food for you and for them."

Update Bible Version
And you take to yourself of all food that is eaten, and gather it to you; and it shall be for food for you, and for them.

New Century Version
Also gather some of every kind of food and store it on the boat as food for you and the animals."

New English Translation
And you must take for yourself every kind of food that is eaten, and gather it together. It will be food for you and for them."

Webster's Bible Translation
And take thou to thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather [it] to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

World English Bible
Take with you of all food that is eaten, and gather it to you; and it will be for food for you, and for them.

Amplified Bible
"Also take with you every kind of food that is edible, and you shall collect and store it; and it shall be food for you and for them."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfore thou schalt take with thee of alle metis that moun be etun, and thou schalt bere to gidre at thee, and tho schulen be as well to thee as to the beestis in to mete.

Young's Literal Translation
`And thou, take to thyself of all food that is eaten; and thou hast gathered unto thyself, and it hath been to thee and to them for food.'

Berean Standard Bible
You are also to take for yourself every kind of food that is eaten and gather it as food for yourselves and for the animals."

Contemporary English Version
Store up enough food both for yourself and for them.

Complete Jewish Bible
Also take from all the kinds of food that are eaten, and collect it for yourself; it is to be food for you and for them."

American Standard Version
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

Bible in Basic English
And make a store of every sort of food for yourself and them.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And take thou with thee of all meate that is eaten, and thou shalt lay it vp with thee, that it may be meate for thee and them.

Darby Translation
And take thou of all food that is eaten, and gather [it] to thee, that it may be for food for thee and for them.

Easy-to-Read Version
Also bring every kind of food into the boat, for you and for the animals."

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.'

King James Version (1611)
And take thou vnto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food, for thee, and for them.

King James Version
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

New Life Bible
And take with you every kind of food that is eaten, and store it. It will be food for you and for them."

New Revised Standard
Also take with you every kind of food that is eaten, and store it up; and it shall serve as food for you and for them."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But thou, take to thee of all food that is eaten, and gather it unto thee, - and it shall be for thee and for them for food.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And take thou with thee of all meate that is eaten: and thou shalt gather it to thee, that it may be meate for thee and for them.

George Lamsa Translation
And you must take a supply of all food that is eaten, and you shall store it by you; and it shall be for food for you and for them.

Good News Translation
Take along all kinds of food for you and for them."

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt take unto thee of all food that may be eaten, and thou shalt lay it up with thee: and it shall be food for thee and them.

Revised Standard Version
Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up; and it shall serve as food for you and for them."

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Of all winged birds after their kind, and of all cattle after their kind, and of all reptiles creeping upon the earth after their kind, pairs of all shall come in to thee, male and female to be fed with thee.

English Revised Version
And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.

Christian Standard Bible®
Take with you every kind of food that is eaten; gather it as food for you and for them.”

Hebrew Names Version
Take with you of all food that is eaten, and gather it to you; and it will be for food for you, and for them.

Lexham English Bible
And as for you, take for yourself from every kind of food that is eaten. And you must gather it to yourself. And it shall be for you and for them for food."

Literal Translation
And take for yourself all food that is eaten, and gather to yourself. And let it be for you and for them for food.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And thou shalt take vnto the all maner of meate that maye be eaten, and shalt laye it vp in stoare by the, that it maye be meate for the and them.

New King James Version
And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them."

New Living Translation
And be sure to take on board enough food for your family and for all the animals."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"As for you, take for yourself some of all food which is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be for food for you and for them."

Legacy Standard Bible
As for you, take for yourself some of all food which is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be for food for you and for them."

Contextual Overview

¹³ Then God said to Noah, "The end of humanity has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of people; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. ¹⁴ "Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with compartments, and cover it inside and out with pitch. ¹⁵ "This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. ¹⁶ "You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and put the door of the ark on the side; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. ¹⁷ "Now behold, I Myself am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which there is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish. ¹⁸ "But I will establish My covenant with you; and you shall enter the ark—you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. ¹⁹ "And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every kind into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. ²⁰ "Of the birds according to their kind, and of the animals according to their kind, of every crawling thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. ²¹ "As for you, take for yourself some of every food that is edible, and gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and them."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Genesis 1:29, Genesis 1:30, Job 38:41, Job 40:20, Psalms 35:6, Psalms 104:27, Psalms 104:28, Psalms 136:25, Psalms 145:16, Psalms 147:9, Matthew 6:26

Cross-References

Job 38:41
"Who prepares feed for the raven When its young cry to God, And wander about without food?

Job 40:20
"Indeed the mountains bring him food, And all the animals of the field play there.

Psalms 35:6
Let their way be dark and slippery, With the angel of the LORD pursuing them.

Psalms 136:25
Who gives food to all flesh, For His faithfulness is everlasting.

Psalms 145:16
You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

Psalms 147:9
It is He who gives an animal its food, And feeds young ravens that cry.

Matthew 6:26
"Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten,.... By man and beast; of which see Genesis 1:29

and thou shall gather [it] to thee; to lay up in the ark:

and it shall be for food for thee, and for them: during the flood, a quantity sufficient for them: and according to the calculation of learned men n, well versed in mathematics, there was room enough in the ark, and to spare, to put food for them all during the time the flood was on the earth.

n Buteo de Area Noe, Wilkins's Essay towards a real Character, Bedford's Chronology, &c.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

- Section VI - The Deluge

- XXIII. The Ark

9. דור dôr “age, time from birth to death,” applied either to an individual or the whole contemporary race, running parallel with some leading individual. Hence, the “race” or “generation” living during that time.

14. תבה tēbâh “chest, ark.” It is used only of this vessel of Noah’s construction, and of the little vessel in which Moses was put Exodus 2:3, Exodus 2:5. The root, according to Furst, means “to be hollow.” אבה 'ēbeh a cognate word, signifies “a reed;” κιβωτός kibōtos Septuagint. גפר goper α. λ., perhaps “fir, cypress, resinous wood.” קן qēn “nest, room; related: prepare, rear up.”

16. צהר tsohar “shining, light;” not the same as the חלון chalôn Genesis 8:6, or the aperture through which Noah let out the raven.

18. ברית b^erı̂yt “covenant; related: cut, eat, choose, decide.”

The close of the preceding document introduces the opening topic of this one. The same rule applies to all that have gone before. The generations of the skies and the land Genesis 2:4 are introduced by the finishing of the skies and the land Genesis 2:1; the generations of man in the line of Sheth Genesis 5:1, by the birth of Sheth Genesis 4:25; and now the generations of Noah, by the notice that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. The narrative here also, as usual, reverts to a point of time before the stage of affairs described in the close of the preceding passage. Yet there is nothing here that seems to indicate a new author. The previous paragraph is historical, and closely connected with the end of the fourth chapter; and it suitably prepares for the proceedings of Noah, under the divine direction, on the eye of the deluge. We have now a recapitulation of the agent and the occasion, and then the divine commission and its execution.

Genesis 6:9-12

Here are the man and the occasion.

Genesis 6:9-10

The generations of Noah. - In the third document we had the generations of man; now we are limited to Noah, because he is himself at peace with God, and is now the head and representative of those who are in the same blessed relation. The narrative, therefore, for the first time, formally confines itself to the portion of the human family in communion with God, Noah is here characterized by two new and important epithets - “just” and “perfect.” It is to be remembered that he had already found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Adam was created good; but by disobedience he became guilty, and all his race, Noah among the rest, became involved in that guilt. To be just is to be right in point of law, and thereby entitled to all the blessings of the acquitted and justified. When applied to the guilty, this epithet implies pardon of sin among other benefits of grace. It also presupposes that spiritual change by which the soul returns from estrangement to reconciliation with God. Hence, Noah is not only just, but perfect. This attribute of character imports not only the turning from darkness to light, from error to truth, from wrong to right, but the stability of moral determination which arises from the struggle, the trial, the victory of good over evil, therein involved. The just is the right in law; the perfect is the tested in holiness. “In his ages;” among the men of his age. This phrase indicates the contrast between Noah and the men of his day. It is probable, moreover, that he was of pure descent, and in that respect also distinguished from his contemporaries who were the offspring of promiscuous intermarriage between the godly and the ungodly. “Noah walked with God,” like Henok. This is the native consequence of his victory over sin, and his acceptance with God. His sons are mentioned, as they are essentially connected with the following events.

Genesis 6:11-12

And the land was corrupt. - In contrast with Noah, the rest of the race were corrupt - entirely depraved by sin. “It was filled with violence” - with the outward exhibition of inward carnality. “And God saw this.” It was patent to the eye of Heaven. This is the ground of the following commission.

Genesis 6:13-21

The directions concerning the ark embrace the purpose to destroy the race of man Genesis 6:13, the plan and specification of the ark Genesis 6:14-16, the announcement of the deluge Genesis 6:17, the arrangements for the preservation of Noah and his family, and certain kinds of animals Genesis 6:18-21.

Genesis 6:13

The end of all flesh. - The end may mean either the point to which it tends, or the extermination of the race. The latter is the simpler. All flesh is to be understood of the whole race, while yet it does not preclude the exception of Noah and his family. This teaches us to beware of applying an inflexible literality to such terms as all, when used in the sense of ordinary conversation. “Is come before me,” is in the contemplation of my mind as an event soon to be realized. “For the land is filled with violence.” The reason. “I will destroy them.” The resolve. There is retribution here, for the words “corrupt” and “destroy” are the same in the original.

Genesis 6:14-16

The ark. - Reckoning the cubit at 1.8 feet, we find the length to be about 540, the breadth 90, and the height 54 feet. The construction of such a vessel implies great skill in carpentry. The lighting apparatus is not described so particularly that we can form any conception of it. It was probably in the roof. The roof may have been flat. “And to a cubit shalt thou finish it above.” The cubit is possibly the height of the parapet round the lighting and ventilating aperture. The opening occupied, it may be, a considerable portion of the roof, and was covered during the rain with an awning מכסה mı̂ksēh, Genesis 8:13. If, however, it was in the sides of the ark, the cubit was merely its height. It was then finished with a strong railing, which went round the whole ark, and over which the covering, above mentioned, hung down on every side. The door was in the side, and the stories were three. In each were of course many “nests” or chambers, for animals and stores. It may be curious to a mechanical mind to frame the details of this structure from the general hints here given; but it could not serve any practical end. Only the animals necessary to man, or unusual to the region covered by the deluge, required to be included in the ark. It seems likely that wild animals in general were not included. It is obvious, therefore, that we cannot calculate the number of animals preserved in the ark, or compare the space they would require with its recorded dimensions. We may rest assured that there was accommodation for all that needed to be there.

Genesis 6:17

The method of destruction is now specified. A water flood shall cover the land, in which all flesh shall perish. I, “behold,” I. This catastrophe is due to the interposition of the Creator. It does not come according to the ordinary laws of physics, but according to the higher law of ethics.

Genesis 6:18-21

The covenant with Noah. Here is the first appearance of a covenant between God and man on the face of Scripture. A covenant is a solemn compact, tacit or express, between two parties, in which each is bound to perform his part. Hence, a covenant implies the moral faculty; and wherever the moral faculty exists, there must needs be a covenant. Consequently, between God and man there was of necessity a covenant from the very beginning, though the name do not appear. At first it was a covenant of works, in regard to man; but now that works have failed, it can only be a covenant of grace to the penitent sinner. “My covenant.” The word “my” points to its original establishment with Adam. My primeval covenant, which I am resolved not to abandon. “Will I establish.” Though Adam has failed, yet will I find means of maintaining my covenant of life with the seed of the woman. “With thee.” Though all flesh be to perish through breach of my covenant, yet will I uphold it with thee. “Go into the ark.” This is the means of safety. Some may say in their hearts, this is a clumsy way to save Noah. But if he is to be saved, there must be some way. And it is not a sign of wisdom to prescribe the way to the All-wise. Rather let us reflect that the erection of this ark was a daily warning to a wicked race, a deepening lesson of reliance on God to Noah and his household, and a most salutary occupation for the progenitors of the future race of mankind. “And thy sons, etc.” Noah’s household share in the covenant.

Genesis 6:19-20

And of all the living. - For the sake of Noah, the animal species also shall be preserved, “two of each, male and female.” They are to come in pairs for propagation. The fowl, the cattle, the creeping thing or smaller animals, are to come. From this it appears that the wild animals are not included among the inmates of the ark. (See Genesis 7:2-3, Genesis 7:8.) The word “all” is not to be pressed beyond the specification of the writer. As the deluge was universal only in respect to the human race, it was not necessary to include any animals but those that were near man, and within the range of the overwhelming waters. Fodder and other provisions for a year have to be laid in.

Genesis 6:22

The obedience of Noah and the accomplishment of his task are here recorded. The building of so enormous a fabric must have occupied many years.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Genesis 6:21. Of all food that is eaten — That is, of the food proper for every species of animals.