Parshat Miketz contains one of my favorite lines in the Torah. Not so much because of the line itself but because of the way the different commentators and modern commentaries have handled it. This is a case where I believe that what a person says about this pasuk says more about the person than the pasuk.
To begin with, let's see the pasuk itself. It comes when Pharoah makes Yosef his second in command over Egypt.
(מג) וַיַּרְכֵּ֣ב אֹת֗וֹ בְּמִרְכֶּ֤בֶת הַמִּשְׁנֶה֙ אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וַיִּקְרְא֥וּ לְפָנָ֖יו אַבְרֵ֑ךְ וְנָת֣וֹן אֹת֔וֹ עַ֖ל כָּל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
(43) And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him: ‘Abrech’; and he set him over all the land of Egypt.
Our focus is on the word avrech. First let's see how the Targumim and the rabbis of the Talmud handle the word Avrech, and how they interpret it.
(מג) וְאַרְכֵּיב יָתֵהּ בִּרְתִכָּא תִנְיֵתָא (נ''י תִנְיָנָא) דִּי לֵהּ וְאַכְרִיזוּ קֳדָמוֹהִי דֵּין אַבָּא לְמַלְכָּא וּמַנִּי יָתֵהּ עַל כָּל אַרְעָא דְמִצְרָיִם
| And he made him ride in his own second chariot, and they proclaimed before him, This is the father of the king; and he appointed him over all the land of Mizraim. |
(מג) וְאַרְכֵּיב יָתֵיהּ בִּרְתִיכָא תִּנְיֵיתָא דִלְפַרְעה וַהֲווֹ מְקַלְסִין לִקְדָמוֹי דֵין אַבָּא לְמַלְכָּא רַב בְּחָכְמָתָא וְרַכִּיךְ בִּשְׁנַיָיא וּמָנֵי יָתֵיהּ סַרְכָן עַל כָּל אַרְעָא דְמִצְרַיִם
and made him ride in the second chariot of Pharoh; and they chanted before him, This is the Father of the king; Great in wisdom, few in years. And he appointed him prince over all the land of Mizraim.
(ג) ... ויקראו לפניו אברך אב בחכמה ורך בשנים....
And the called before him avrech - great in wisdom but few in years.
(כא) כיוצא בדבר אתה אומר, דרש ר' יהודה (בראשית מא) וירכב אותו במרכבת המשנה אשר לו - זה יוסף, שהיה אב בחכמה ורך בשנים. אמר לו ר' יוסי בן דורמסקית לר' יהודה בר': למה אתה מעוות עלינו את הכתובים? מעידני עלי שמים וארץ, שאין אברך אלא לברכים, שהיו הכל נכנסים ויוצאים תחת ידו, כענין שנאמר ונתון אותו על כל ארץ מצרים:
(21) Similarly, R. Yehudah expounded (Bereshith 41:43) "And he (Pharaoh) had him ride in the chariot next to his, and they called before him "Avrech.": This is Joseph, who was a father ("av") in wisdom and young ("rach") in years — whereupon R. Yossi b. Dormaskith said to him: Yehudah berebbi, why do you distort the verses for us? I testify by heaven and earth that "avrech" signifies (bending of) the knees ("birkayim"). (Ibid.) "and he set him over all the land of Egypt": that all enter and leave by his command.
What is Recha? It is Royalty, as it says (Shemuel II, 3:39) "And I am this day rach (usually weak), and just anointed king". Or if you want, you can say from here (Bereshit 41:43) "and they called before him Avrech".
The classic biblical commentators
(ב) אברך. כתרגומו דין אבא למלכא רך בלשון ארמי מלך. בהשותפין (בבא בתרא ד א) לא ריכא ולא בר ריכא. ובדברי אגדה דרש ר' יהודה אברך זה יוסף שהוא אב בחכמה ורך בשנים, אמר לו רבי יוסי בן דורמסקית עד מתי אתה מעות עלינו את הכתובים, אין אברך אלא לשון ברכים, שהכל היו נכנסין ויוצאין תחת ידו, כענין שנאמר ונתון אותו וגו' :
Avrech. According to the Targum (onkelos): "father of the king". Rach is king in Aramaic. In Bava Batra 4a: "[Herod is] not the king nor the son of a king". In the words of the aggadata, R Yehuda says: "Avrech is Yosef, because he was the master (av) of wisdom but short (rach) in years." R. Yose said to him: "until when will you corrupt the scriptures for us? Avrech is only the word for knee, because everyone would enter and exit under his hand, as it is stated "and they appointed him..."
The word Avrech has also appeared in a few other places in Tanach. While this seems like a fact worth mentioning, the context is obviously different in these places, and the word clearly means "I will bless". None of the commentators seen above note this connection, so they obviously consider this to be either a separate word or a separate use of the word.
(ז) אֲבָרֵךְ אֶת יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר יְעָצָנִי אַף לֵילוֹת יִסְּרוּנִי כִלְיוֹתָי.
(7) I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel; Yea, in the night seasons my reins instruct me.
(טו) צֵידָהּ בָּרֵךְ אֲבָרֵךְ אֶבְיוֹנֶיהָ אַשְׂבִּיעַ לָחֶם.
(15) I will abundantly bless her provision; I will give her needy bread in plenty.
(יט) הַעוֹד הַזֶּרַע בַּמְּגוּרָה וְעַד הַגֶּפֶן וְהַתְּאֵנָה וְהָרִמּוֹן וְעֵץ הַזַּיִת לֹא נָשָׂא מִן הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה אֲבָרֵךְ.
(19) is the seed yet in the barn? yea, the vine, and the fig-tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive-tree hath not brought forth—from this day will I bless you.’ .
Lastly, let's look at the modern Chumashim. I believe that the differences in how they handle this do a very good job of illustrating the difference between the philosophical outlooks of these various publishers.
Soncino Chumash
Abrech. Rashi and Rashbam explain: 'father to the king'. Rashbam cites 'He hath made me a father to Pharoah'. Rashi also quotes two views of the rabbis: that it is a compound word, ab (father) rach (tender) - a father in wisdom though tender in years, and that it is connected with berech, 'the knee': let all bend the knee before him. Ibn Ezra and Seforno adopt the last interpretation.
Hertz Chumash
abrech. 'Probably an Egyptian word similar in sound to the Hebrew word meaning "to kneel"' (RV Margin).
Artscroll Chumash
And they proclaimed before him: "Avrech!" As Joseph rode on the chariot, the servants called out before him Avrech, which is a composite of two words: father [i.e. counselor of mentor], to the rach, which means king in Aramaic (Rashi, Onkelos). Another interpretation of the word is that it is a composite of av (father) in wisdom, though rach (tender) in years (Midrash).
Etz Chaim Chumash
Abrek. Either an Egyptian word of unknown meaning or an Assyrian title. The Akkadian word abarakku means 'temple steward' or 'steward of the royal household' which raises the question of how an Assyrian title came to be attached to the Joseph story.