2 Kings 15:16

2 Kings 15:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.
• New International Version (NIV)At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.
• English Standard Version (ESV)At that time Menahem sacked Tiphsah and all who were in it and its territory from Tirzah on, because they did not open it to him. Therefore he sacked it, and he ripped open all the women in it who were pregnant.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then from Tirzah, Menahem attacked Tiphsah, all who were there, and its territory. Because they did not surrender, therefore he attacked it. All the women there who were with child he ripped open.

Context of 2 Kings 15:16

14Then Menahem son of Gadi came up from Tirzah to Samaria and struck down Shallum son of Jabesh there. He killed him and became king in his place. 15As for the rest of the events of Shallum’s reign, along with the conspiracy that he formed, they are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings. At that time, starting from Tirzah, Menahem attacked Tiphsah, all who were in it, and its territory because they wouldn’t surrender. He ripped open all the pregnant women. 17In the thirty-ninth year of Judah’s King Azariah, Menahem son of Gadi became king over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samaria. 18He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. Throughout his reign, he did not turn away from the sins Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

2 Kings 15:16 word by word

אָ֣ז יַכֶּֽה־מְ֠נַחֵם אֶת־תִּפְסַ֨ח וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֤הּ וְאֶת־גְּבוּלֶ֙יהָ֙ מִתִּרְצָ֔ה כִּ֛י לֹ֥א פָתַ֖ח וַיַּ֑ךְ אֵ֛ת כָּל־הֶהָ֥רוֹתֶ֖יהָ בִּקֵּֽעַ׃ פRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then Menahemמְנַחֵםmenachêm · MenahemH4505
• smoteנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221
• Tiphsahתִּפְסַחtiphsach · TiphsahH8607
• therein, and the coastsגְּבוּלgebûl gebûl · border: areaH1366
• thereof from Tirzahתִּרְצָהtirtsâh · TirzahH8656
• because they openedפָּתַחpâthach · to openH6605
• all the women therein that were with childהָרָהhâreh hârîy · pregnantH2030
• he ripped upבָּקַעbâqa‛ · to break up/openH1234

Cross-references for 2 Kings 15:16

• 1 Kings 4:24for he had dominion over everything west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza and over all the kings west of the Euphrates. He had peace on all his surrounding borders.
• 2 Kings 8:12and Hazael asked, “Why is my lord weeping?” He replied, “Because I know the evil you will do to the people of Israel. You will set their fortresses on fire. You will kill their young men with the sword. You will dash their children to pieces. You will rip open their pregnant women.”
• Amos 1:13The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing the Ammonites for three crimes, even four, because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their territory.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 15:16

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 16With respect to the supposed inability of Menahem to lead an expedition to Tiphsah (Thapsacus, see the marginal reference) on the Euphrates, we may note in the first place that such an expedition was a natural sequel to Jeroboam‘s occupation of Hamath 2 Kings 14:28; and further, that it would have been greatly facilitated by the weakness of Assyria at this time, that empire having fallen into a state of depression about 780 B.C.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-31Verses 8-31 This history shows Israel in confusion. Though Judah was not without troubles, yet that kingdom was happy, compared with the state of Israel. The imperfections of true believers are very different from the allowed wickedness of ungodly men. Such is human nature, such are our hearts, if left to themselves, deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. We have reason to be thankful for restraints, for being kept out of temptation, and…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16In Tirzah, Menahem learned that Shallum had assassinated King Zechariah. Menahem gathered his troops and marched toward Samaria. ripped open all the pregnant women: This horrible wartime atrocity was also recorded in Assyrian and Babylonian texts. This act is also linked to King Hazael of Aram (2 Kings 8:12). See also Hosea 10:14; 13:16; Amos 1:13.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1713-17. Shallum ... reigned a full month--He was opposed and slain by Menahem, who, according to Josephus, was commander of the forces, which, on the report of the king's murder, were besieging Tirzah, a town twelve miles east of Samaria, and formerly a seat of the kings of Israel. Raising the siege, he marched directly against the usurper, slew him, and reigned in his stead.Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 15:16

• Captive
• Homicide
• Massacre
• Menahem
• Tiphsah
• Tirzah

In the dictionaries

• Tirzah
• Menahem
• Tiphsah
• Tirza
• Assyria
• Palestine
• Uzziah; (azariah)
• War; Warfare

Commentaries on 2 Kings 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings