Why did God kill the animals in the flood?

Question:

Why did God kill the animals in the flood? More specifically, why only land animals, not those of the water? Genesis 7:21,22.

The answer is found in Chapter 6 of Genesis:

Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:11-13)(NASB)

The text mentions several times that not only people became corrupted on earth, but all flesh, therefore, animals, too. Here are the terms used here:

• all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth
• the end of all flesh has come before Me …
• for the earth is filled with violence because of them

This is not said about sea creatures and thus, we realize that this state has not described the sea creatures, that are not in such a close contact with humans and their behavior has not come to be affected so much as that of the land creatures.

Translated by Felicia Rotaru