Melachim Bais 15:16

16 Then from Tirtzah Menahem attacked Tiphsach, and all that were therein, and the surrounding area; because they opened not to him, therefore he sacked it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped open.

Melachim Bais 15:16 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 15:16

Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the
coasts thereof from Tirzah
The Jewish writers commonly take this Tiphsah to be without the land of Israel, the same with that in ( 1 Kings 4:24 ) on the borders of Syria, and near the Euphrates; but it seems to be some place nearer Samaria, and Tirzah; according to Bunting ^F20, it was but six miles from Samaria:

because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it;
they refused to open the gates of their city to him, and receive him, and acknowledge him as their king; therefore he exercised severity on the inhabitants of it, and the parts adjacent, as far as Tirzah, putting them to the sword:

and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up:
which was a most shocking instance of barbarity, and which he did, to terrify others from following their example. Ben Gersom interprets it of strong towers built on mountains, which he demolished, deriving "haroth", which we render "women with child", from (rh) , "a mountain".

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 Travels p. 169.

Melachim Bais 15:16 In-Context

14 For Menahem Ben Gadi went up from Tirtzah, and came to Shomron, and attacked Shallum Ben Yavesh in Shomron, and assassinated him, and reigned as melech in his place.

15 And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his kesher he plotted, behold, they are written in the Sefer Divrei HaYamim L’Malkhei Yisroel.

16 Then from Tirtzah Menahem attacked Tiphsach, and all that were therein, and the surrounding area; because they opened not to him, therefore he sacked it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped open.

17 In the nine and thirtieth year of Azaryah Melech Yehudah began Menahem Ben Gadi to reign as melech over Yisroel, and reigned ten shanim in Shomron.

18 And he did that which was rah in the eyes of Hashem; he departed not all his yamim from the chattot Yarov‘am Ben Nevat, who caused Yisroel to commit sin.