Charles Spurgeon Commentary Genesis 7:18-19

"And the waters prevailed, and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered." — Genesis 7:18-19 (ASV)

If Moses had meant to describe a partial deluge upon only a small part of the earth, he used very misleading language; but if he meant to teach that the deluge was universal, he used the very word we might have expected him to use. I would think that no person, merely by reading this chapter, would arrive at the conclusion reached by some of our very learned men—too learned to hold the simple truth.

It looks as if the deluge must have been universal when we read that not only did the waters prevail exceedingly upon the earth, but that all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven; that is, all beneath the canopy of the sky, were covered. What could be more plain and clear than that?