וַיָּבֹ֤א יוֹסֵף֙ הַבַּ֔יְתָה וַיָּבִ֥יאּוּ ל֛וֹ אֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־בְּיָדָ֖ם הַבָּ֑יְתָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ־ל֖וֹ אָֽרְצָה׃
Y vino José á casa, y ellos le trajeron el presente que tenían en su mano dentro de casa, é inclináronse á él hasta tierra.
HaKtav VeHaKabalah
HE PROSTRATED - according to Ibn Ezra prostration is bowing the head, and this is an expression of giving honor to another person, and so Yitro does it for Moshe. However, Rashi (parashat Miketz, Genesis 42:6; Genesis 43:26) sees prostrating as extending oneself on the earth, with hands and feet extended. And it seems that the difference between a simple prostration and the prostration on the earth is that if it is on the earth obviously implies the extending of hands and feet.
Ramban
SHALL I AND THY MOTHER AND THY BRETHREN INDEED COME TO PROSTRATE OURSELVES TO THEE TO THE EARTH? “Is not your mother long since dead?” Jacob, however, was not aware that the matter alluded to Bilhah who had raised him as if she were his mother. From here, our Rabbis derived the principle that there is no dream that does not contain invalid matters. Jacob’s intention in pointing out the invalidity of the dream was to cause his sons to forget the matter so that they should not be envious of him because of it. Jacob said to Joseph: “Just as it is impossible for the dream to be fulfilled with respect to your mother, so is the remainder invalid.” Thus the language of Rashi.
In my opinion, at the time when Jacob went down to Egypt, Bilhah and Zilpah had already died50See Ramban 46:15. since, in enumerating the seventy souls that went down to Egypt, Scripture states, Besides Jacob’s sons’ wives,51Further, 46:26. and it does not say “besides Jacob’s wives and his sons’ wives.”52Thus, there is proof that Bilhah had already died at the time Jacob went down to Egypt. So how then could Rashi say that the mother in the dream, symbolized by the moon, who was to bow before Joseph in Egypt, referred to Bilhah? And if you say that because they were concubines Scripture does not want to say “besides Jacob’s sons’ wives and his concubines,” yet we find that they are referred to as his father’s wives.53Above, Verse 2. Why then does Scripture not say “besides Jacob’s wives and his sons’ wives?” Thus it is clear that they had already died. Besides, it is unlikely that “the moon” in the dream alludes to his concubine. Instead, my opinion concerning the matter of the dream is that the sun is an allusion to Jacob, and the moon alludes to the children of his household and all his wives, which comprised Jacob’s seed. Thus, the moon alludes to the fact that all his seed will prostrate themselves to Joseph, these being all the seventy souls that issued from his loins, since they all prostrated themselves when they came before him. The eleven stars represent the brothers who bowed down before him separately,54This explains why the brothers are singled out from all of Jacob’s seed, alluded to by the moon. before their father arrived, as it is written, And when Joseph came into the house, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and prostrated themselves to him to the earth.55Further, 43:26.
In my opinion, at the time when Jacob went down to Egypt, Bilhah and Zilpah had already died50See Ramban 46:15. since, in enumerating the seventy souls that went down to Egypt, Scripture states, Besides Jacob’s sons’ wives,51Further, 46:26. and it does not say “besides Jacob’s wives and his sons’ wives.”52Thus, there is proof that Bilhah had already died at the time Jacob went down to Egypt. So how then could Rashi say that the mother in the dream, symbolized by the moon, who was to bow before Joseph in Egypt, referred to Bilhah? And if you say that because they were concubines Scripture does not want to say “besides Jacob’s sons’ wives and his concubines,” yet we find that they are referred to as his father’s wives.53Above, Verse 2. Why then does Scripture not say “besides Jacob’s wives and his sons’ wives?” Thus it is clear that they had already died. Besides, it is unlikely that “the moon” in the dream alludes to his concubine. Instead, my opinion concerning the matter of the dream is that the sun is an allusion to Jacob, and the moon alludes to the children of his household and all his wives, which comprised Jacob’s seed. Thus, the moon alludes to the fact that all his seed will prostrate themselves to Joseph, these being all the seventy souls that issued from his loins, since they all prostrated themselves when they came before him. The eleven stars represent the brothers who bowed down before him separately,54This explains why the brothers are singled out from all of Jacob’s seed, alluded to by the moon. before their father arrived, as it is written, And when Joseph came into the house, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and prostrated themselves to him to the earth.55Further, 43:26.