the waters rose (literally waters multiplied): This is the same word used for the increase of humans and animals during creation (see 1:22, 28). Now, ironically, the story uses this word for the water that would destroy them.
high above the earth: The Hebrew word translated as “ground” or “earth” appears eight times in eight verses (7:17–24). The great flood was now cleansing the earth, which humans had polluted.