He dreamed

"Jacob had a dream"

set up on the earth

"with the bottom of it touching the ground"

This refers to the place where God lives.

The word "behold" here alerts us to pay attention to the surprising information that follows.

Possible meanings are 1) "Yahweh was standing at the top of the stairway" or 2) "Yahweh was standing next to Jacob"

Here "father" means "ancestor." AT: "Abraham your ancestor" or "Abraham your forefather"