2 Kings 15:16

2Ki 15:16 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.

Ver. 16. He smote it, and all the women he ripped up.] Opening their wombs crudelitate immani et barbara, because their husbands opened not the gates of their city unto him. {a} This abhorred cruelty Josephus mentioneth not; as being ashamed that other nations should be acquainted with it. The like was done, {Hos 13:16 Amo 1:13} and at the Sicilian vespers, by those pseudo-Catholics.

{a} Here Manes showed himself to be Epimanes.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 15:16. Then Menahem smote Tiphsah — Either that Tiphsah mentioned 1Ki 4:24, or another city of the same name. And the coasts thereof, from Tirzah — All the people dwelling between those places. Because they opened not to him — Refused to open the gates of their city, and submit to him as conqueror. All the women that were with child he ripped up — That by this example of severity he might affright all the rest of the people into obedience. The frequent mention of this kind of cruelty, shows how inhumanly barbarous the eastern people were in those ages.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

REIGN OF MENAHEM, 2Ki_15:16-22.

16. Smote Tiphsah — Ewald, Thenius, and others, think this must have been a city in Palestine near Tirzah. But in the absence of any mention of a city of this name near Tirzah, it is better to understand the border city of Solomon’s kingdom, the Thapsacus of the Greeks, mentioned 1Ki_4:24, where see note. Wordsworth well remarks: “In the state of confusion in which Israel was at this time, we need not be surprised that a restless and aspiring man, like Menahem, going forth from Tirzah, should have been able to carry his marauding and desolating conquests even to the banks of the Euphrates.”

The coasts thereof from Tirzah — These words do not sufficiently authorize us to maintain that Menahem wasted all the land between Tirzah and Tiphsah, but they clearly show that his conquests were not confined to Tiphsah. We understand that he set out on his expedition from Tirzah, and no doubt many parts of the country between that place and the Euphrates suffered from his march.

Because they opened not — The inhabitants of Tiphsah offered resistance to Menahem’s forces, and this so enraged him that he not only ravished the coasts thereof, but having taken the city, he perpetrated on its inhabitants, even to women and children, the most barbarous cruelties.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15:16 At Tirzah, Menahem heard of King Zechariah’s assassination by Shallum. Menahem gathered his forces and moved against Samaria. • ripped open the pregnant women: This horrible wartime practice, noted in Assyrian and Babylonian documents, is also attributed to King Hazael of Aram (8:12). See also Hos 10:14; 13:16; Amos 1:13.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Which was a city of Israel that would not receive him to be king.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Menahem . . . smote Tiphsah--Thapsacus, on the Euphrates, the border city of Solomon's kingdom (Kg1 4:24). The inhabitants refusing to open their gates to him, Menahem took it by storm. Then having spoiled it, he committed the most barbarous excesses, without regard either to age or sex.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(16) Then.—After slaying Shallum, and seizing the supreme power.

Tiphsah.—The name means ford, and elsewhere denotes the well-known Thapsacus on the Euphrates (1Ki_4:24). Here, however, an Israelite city in the neighbourhood of Tirzah is obviously intended. The course of events was apparently this: after slaying Shallum, Menahem returned to Tirzah, and set out thence at the head of his entire army to bring the rest of the country to acknowledge him as king. Tiphsah resisting his claims, he made an example of it which proved efficient to terrorise other towns into submission. [Thenius would read Tappuah for Tiphsah by a slight change in one Hebrew letter. This agrees very well with the local indications of the text (comp. Jos_17:7-8), though, of course, there may have been an otherwise unknown Tiphsah near Tirzah.]

The coasts thereof.—Literally, her borders (or, territories). (Comp. Jos_17:8.)

From Tirzah—i.e., starting from Tirzah. This shows that the districts of Tirzah and Tiphsah (or, Tappuah) were conterminous.

Because they opened not to him.—Literally, for one opened not; an impersonal construction. The meaning is: the gates were closed against him. The to him is added by all the versions except the Targum.

And all the women.—Comp. 2Ki_8:21; Hos_13:16; Amo_1:13.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

16–22. Menahem king of Israel. He smites Tiphsah. Pul, king of Assyria, comes against Israel but is bought off. Death of Menahem (Not in Chronicles)

16. Menahem smote Tiphsah] Tiphsah is mentioned 1Ki_4:24 as at one boundary of the dominion of Solomon. The place there intended is Thapsacus on the west side of the Euphrates, and is famous in classic history as the point at which Cyrus with his 10000 Greeks crossed that river. If that be the place here spoken of, we must understand Menahem to have carried his victorious arms from Samaria to the Euphrates. For a king who had put himself on the throne by force, at a time when Israel was thoroughly disorganised, this seems inconceivable. For this reason most people consider the place here mentioned to have been within the kingdom of Israel. Josephus (Ant. IX. 11. 1) calls it Thapsa, and speaks of it as a place which refused to admit the usurper. If this be so, it is mentioned nowhere else, and this seems to be by far the most natural explanation.

and the coasts [R.V. borders] thereof] That is, all the country round about this offending town.

from Tirzah] Menahem’s proceeding appears to have been this. After the slaughter of Shallum in Samaria, he returned to Tirzah, and, making that his headquarters, went forth thence to reduce the country to subjection.

they opened not to him] Josephus says they closed their gates and barred them against him. At a time when the king was changing every few months the citizens might naturally feel unwilling to admit a new claimant for the rule, till they were certain of what was happening elsewhere.

ript up] This savage conduct is mentioned (2Ki_8:12) among the enormities which Hazael was likely to perpetrate, and in the prophets (Hos_13:16; Amo_1:13) it is specified as part of the sufferings of Samaria from her invaders, and as inflicted by the Ammonites on the women of Gilead. But nowhere except here do we find such cruelty exercised by an Israelite. It marks the time as one of great degradation and barbarity.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And the rest of the acts of Menahem,.... We are referred to the same book of chronicles for them as for those of the rest of the kings, which seems to be a form the historian uses of them all.

And the rest of the acts of Menahem,.... We are referred to the same book of chronicles for them as for those of the rest of the kings, which seems to be a form the historian uses of them all.

2 Kings 15:22

kg2 15:22

kg2 15:22

kg2 15:22And Menahem slept with his fathers,.... Died a natural death, and in peace, though an usurper and a tyrant:

and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead; the kingdom he had usurped continued in his family.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

With 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 2Ki 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.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Tiphsah; either that Tiphsah mentioned 1Ki 4:24, or another city of that name.

The coasts thereof from Tirzah, i.e. all the people dwelling between Tirzah and Tiphsah.

Because they opened not to him; because they refused to open the gates of their city to him, and to submit to him as conqueror.

The women he ripped up; that by this example of severity he might affright all the rest of the people into obedience.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vers. 16-22. REIGN OF MENAHEM, AND EXPEDITION OF PUL AGAINST SAMARIA. Two events only of Menahem"s reign receive notice from the writer.

(1) His capture of Tiphsah, and severe treatment of the inhabitants (ver. 16).

(2) The invasion of his land by an Assyrian monarch, called "Pul" or "Phul," and his submission to that monarch"s authority. Pul"s retirement was bought by a large sum of money, which Menahem collected from his subjects (vers. 19, 20). Then Menahem smote Tiphsah. The only town of this name known to history or geography is the famous city on the Euphrates, (1Ki_4:24) called by the Greeks Thapsacus. It has been thought that Menahem could not have pushed his conquests so far, and a second Tiphsah has been invented in the Israelite highland, between Tirzah and Samaria, of which there is no other notice anywhere. But "Tiphsah," which means "passage" or "fordway," is an unsuitable name for a city in such a situation. The view of Keil is clearly tenable that Zachariah had intended to carry on his father"s warlike policy, and had collected an army for a great Eastern expedition, which had its head-quarters at the royal city of Tirzah, and was under the command of Menahem. As the expedition was about to start, the news came that Shallum had murdered Zachariah and usurped the throne. Menahem upon this proceeded from Tirzah to Samaria, crushed Shallum, and, returning to his army, carried out without further delay the expedition already resolved upon. The Assyrian records show that, at the probable date of the expedition, Assyria was exceptionally weak, and in no condition to resist an attack, though a little later, under Tiglath-pileser, she recovered herself. And all that were therein, and the coasts thereof, from Tirzah. "From Tirzah" means "starting from Tir-zah," as in ver. 14. It is to be connected with "smote," not with "coasts." Because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it. Determined resistance on the part of a city summoned to surrender has always been regarded as justifying an extreme severity of treatment. It is not clear that Menahem transgressed the ordinary usages of war in what he did, however much he transgressed the laws of humanity. And all the women therein that were with child he ripped up. (comp. 2Ki_8:12, with the comment; and see also Isa_13:18; Hos_10:14; Amo_1:13)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Menahem in Israel

v. 16. Then Menahem, making use of the army to reduce the country to obedience to himself, smote Tiphsah, a fortress on the western hank of the Euphrates, which revolted against his rule, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah, the base from which he went out on his campaign; because they opened not to him, they refused to receive his officers and to do him homage, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up, a most bestial form of cruelty.

v. 17. In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah, king of Judah, began Menahem, the son of Gadi, to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria, having established himself on the throne and holding his position by main force.

v. 18. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord; he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

v. 19. And Pul, the king of Assyria, under whom this country assumed the position of a world monarchy, came against the land; and Menahem, not feeling strong enough to repel the invaders, gave Pul a thousand talents of silver (almost two million dollars), that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand, since a party hostile to Menahem had probably taken the opportunity of Pail’s approach to gain followers. When the Assyrians withdrew, Menahem was again in undisputed possession of power.

v. 20. And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, by simply levying certain assessments, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver (about $32), to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria, satisfied with this rich tributary gift, turned back and stayed not there in the land.

v. 21. And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

v. 22. And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah, his son, reigned in his stead. The kingdom of Israel was hastening to its dissolution. When backsliders despise both the goodness and the severity of God, then the Lord will at last withdraw His hand and let them hasten to their own condemnation.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Because it would not open. The governor of the city did not open the city for him, to accept him as king over them.

Its pregnant women. The pregnant women therein, he ripped open.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

...He split open all the pregnant women as an act of vengeance and disgrace...

Radak on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash” (CC BY 4.0); “Rabbi Mike Feuer, Jerusalem Anthology” (CC BY 4.0); and “R. David Kimhi on the first book of Psalms, Translated by R.G. Finch, London, 1919” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.