וַיִּרְדֹּ֥ף גֵּיחֲזִ֖י אַחֲרֵ֣י נַֽעֲמָ֑ן וַיִּרְאֶ֤ה נַֽעֲמָן֙ רָ֣ץ אַחֲרָ֔יו וַיִּפֹּ֞ל מֵעַ֧ל הַמֶּרְכָּבָ֛ה לִקְרָאת֖וֹ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הֲשָׁלֽוֹם׃
Il suivit donc rapidement Naaman, qui, en le voyant courir après lui, se jeta à bas de son char, alla à sa rencontre et dit: "Tout est-il en paix?"
Sforno
ותפול מעל הגמל, she inclined her head while remaining on the camel in honour of Yitzchok. We have a similar expression meaning the same in Kings II 5,21 ויפול מעל המרכבה where there is no reason to understand this as Naamon, the general, “falling” off his chariot, but the verse describes a deferential behaviour by Naamon.
Rabbeinu Bahya
ותפול מעל הגמל, “she fell off the camel.” Rivkah did not “fall”” off the camel she was riding on when she saw Yitzchak; rather, she inclined her head as one does prior to falling off an animal.” This interpretation is supported by the choice of the word מעל in our verse. Had she really fallen off, the Torah would have written: ותפול מהגמל. This is also why Onkelos translates these words as ואתרכנית, the same expression he used when he translated what Eliezer was going to say to Rivkah at the well, where the Torah wrote הטי נא כדך, “please incline your jug” (24,14). We have a similar example in Kings II 5,21 where Jeremiah wrote of Naaman ויראה נעמן רץ אחריו ויפול מעל המרכבה לקראתו, “when Naaman saw him (Gechazi) run after him, “he fell” from the chariot toward him, etc.” There too the meaning clearly is not that the general Naaman literally fell out of his chariot because he saw Gechazi running. The meaning is that he bent down, inquiring why Gechazi had run after him, etc.
Ibn Ezra interprets ותפול literally, adding that she fell down deliberately, i.e. on her face and prostrated herself. It is similar to Numbers 16,4 where it says of Moses ויפול על פניו, “he ‘fell’ on his face.” Moses did not fall against his will but he prostrated himself deliberately. When the Torah here continues with: ותאמר אל העבד, “she said to the servant,” we must understand this as what she said prior to prostrating herself.
Ibn Ezra interprets ותפול literally, adding that she fell down deliberately, i.e. on her face and prostrated herself. It is similar to Numbers 16,4 where it says of Moses ויפול על פניו, “he ‘fell’ on his face.” Moses did not fall against his will but he prostrated himself deliberately. When the Torah here continues with: ותאמר אל העבד, “she said to the servant,” we must understand this as what she said prior to prostrating herself.
Ramban
AND SHE ALIGHTED (‘VATIPOL’) FROM THE CAMEL. Rashi comments: “She let herself slide towards the ground, as the Targum renders it, ‘She inclined herself [towards the earth but did not actually reach the ground]. Similarly, Let down thy pitcher140Above, Verse 14. was translated by Onkelos to mean ‘incline.’ And He bowed down the heavens141Psalms 18:10. — the Targum translates: ‘and He bent.’ A similar case is the verse, Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down,142Ibid., 37:24. which means though he bends himself towards the earth, yet he shall not touch the ground.”
But Onkelos’ opinion is not that she let herself slide off the camel to the earth, for if so, she actually fell off the camel and did not just incline herself. Similarly, all expressions of “inclining” merely mean a bending towards one side. Onkelos’ opinion, however, is that on the camel upon which she was riding she bent herself towards one side in order to turn her face away from him. A similar case, in my opinion, is the verse: And when Naaman saw one running after him, ‘vayipol’ from upon the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?143II Kings 5:21. The word vayipol here only means that he bent himself in the chariot towards the runner who was on the ground to ask of him whether all is well. And so indeed it is said there, When the man turned back from his chariot to meet thee.144Ibid., Verse 26. It is possible that as far as Onkelos is concerned, the expression, from on the camel, is like “on the camel,” [the letter mem in the word mei’al (from on) being redundant]. A similar case is the verse, For great ‘mei’al’ the heavens is Thy mercy,145Psalms 108:5. [which means “for great on the heavens is Thy mercy,” and not “from on the heavens”]. A redundant letter mem like this is also found in these verses: There shall be no more ‘misham’ an infant of days, nor an old man,146Isaiah 65:20. [which means “there shall be no more there,” and not “from there”]; Ye waters that are ‘mei’al’ the heavens,147Psalms 148:4. [which means “ye waters that are on the heavens,” and not “from on the heavens”].
In line with the plain meaning [of Scripture, however, the letter mem in the word mei’al is not redundant, but instead] it is like the mem in the verse, And, behold, there came many people ‘miderech’ (from a way) round-about.148II Samuel 13:34. [And thus in the verse before us, mei’al hagamal would mean that she alighted “from on the camel.”] There are many similar verses.
But Onkelos’ opinion is not that she let herself slide off the camel to the earth, for if so, she actually fell off the camel and did not just incline herself. Similarly, all expressions of “inclining” merely mean a bending towards one side. Onkelos’ opinion, however, is that on the camel upon which she was riding she bent herself towards one side in order to turn her face away from him. A similar case, in my opinion, is the verse: And when Naaman saw one running after him, ‘vayipol’ from upon the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?143II Kings 5:21. The word vayipol here only means that he bent himself in the chariot towards the runner who was on the ground to ask of him whether all is well. And so indeed it is said there, When the man turned back from his chariot to meet thee.144Ibid., Verse 26. It is possible that as far as Onkelos is concerned, the expression, from on the camel, is like “on the camel,” [the letter mem in the word mei’al (from on) being redundant]. A similar case is the verse, For great ‘mei’al’ the heavens is Thy mercy,145Psalms 108:5. [which means “for great on the heavens is Thy mercy,” and not “from on the heavens”]. A redundant letter mem like this is also found in these verses: There shall be no more ‘misham’ an infant of days, nor an old man,146Isaiah 65:20. [which means “there shall be no more there,” and not “from there”]; Ye waters that are ‘mei’al’ the heavens,147Psalms 148:4. [which means “ye waters that are on the heavens,” and not “from on the heavens”].
In line with the plain meaning [of Scripture, however, the letter mem in the word mei’al is not redundant, but instead] it is like the mem in the verse, And, behold, there came many people ‘miderech’ (from a way) round-about.148II Samuel 13:34. [And thus in the verse before us, mei’al hagamal would mean that she alighted “from on the camel.”] There are many similar verses.