John Gill Commentary Genesis 7:23

"And every living thing was destroyed that was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only was left, and they that were with him in the ark." — Genesis 7:23 (ASV)

And every living substance was destroyed which was upon
the face of the ground
Not everything, particularly trees; for after the flood was abated there was an olive tree, a leaf of which was brought to Noah by the dove, (Genesis 8:11) but all animals,

both men and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the
heaven, and they were destroyed from the earth ;
this is repeated, partly for explanation of the preceding clause, and partly for confirmation of this general destruction, which might seem almost incredible.

There never was such a destruction of creatures before, or since, nor never will be till the general conflagration; and is a proof of the sovereignty of God, his almighty power, the purity and holiness of his nature, and the strictness and severity of his justice, and shows what a fearful thing it is to fail into his hands:

and Noah only remained [alive], and they that [were] with him in
the ark ;
besides those, of the millions of mankind that were upon the earth, not one was left, the flood came and destroyed them all, (Luke 17:27) the fable some Jewish writers relate of Og being found alive, and which they gather from (Deuteronomy 3:11) by sitting upon a piece of wood of one of the ladders of the ark, to whom Noah reached out food every day, and so he remained alive ^F17 , deserves no regard; though perhaps from hence arose the Grecian fable of the flood of Ogyges, which seems to be the same with this of Noah.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F17: Pirke Eliezer, c. 23. fol. 23. 1, 2.