Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Genesis 7:21 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 21. 21And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
All moving flesh on the earth dies—birds, cattle, wild animals, swarming creatures, and humankind. The ordered catalog reverses the living categories gathered into the ark and described in creation.
Read It With
- Genesis 7:1–24
Read verses 21–23 together. Verse 21 catalogs the deaths, verse 22 specifies nostril-breathing dry-land life, and verse 23 states that the living things are wiped away while Noah and the ark community remain.
Why This Verse Appears Here
The first death catalog names the moving creature groups affected by the mountain-covering waters.
Read Genesis 7:21–24 together
Why these verses belong together: The death catalog, dry-land life definition, wiped-away versus preserved contrast, and 150-day duration complete the waters' victory.
Verse 21. 21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:
Verse 22. 22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.
Verse 23. 23 And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.
Verse 24. 24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.
What Remains True
Human violence has consequences for a wider living community; the story refuses to treat judgment as affecting humans alone.
How It Can Shape Life
- Consider how human conflict, exploitation, and environmental harm fall on animals and other vulnerable life that did not choose the systems causing the damage.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Genesis 7:1–24 — The Flood Covers the EarthSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Reader-facing Scripture wording, verse numbering, paragraph data, and supplied-word markup.
Exact location: Pinned eBible/CrossWire standardized 1769 KJV corpus, Genesis 7:1–24
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Righteousness, clean and unclean terms, repeated numerals, wipe-away language, deep and floodgates, entry formulas, prevail language, breath of life, dry land, survival, and 150 days.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 7:1–24
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible — Genesis with translators' notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, Digital edition accessed 2026
Supports: Prominent 'you,' seven or seven pairs, male-and-mate wording, seven days, forty days, paired entry, deep and heaven imagery, prevail language, fifteen cubits, breath of life, survival, and 150 days.
Exact location: NET Bible, Genesis 7:1–24 translator notes 1–39
Open NET Genesis 7 ↗