The Meaning of 2 Kings 15:16 Explained

2 Kings 15:16

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.

YLT: Then doth Menahem smite Tiphsah, and all who are in it, and its borders from Tirzah, for it opened not to him, and he smiteth it, all its pregnant women he hath ripped up.

Darby: Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and its territory from Tirzah, because they did not open to him; and he smote it: all the women in it that were with child he ripped up.

ASV: Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the borders 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 2 Kings 15:16 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 15:13-22 - Buying Temporary Relief
The usurping murderer Shallum enjoyed but a very brief reign, occupying the throne for one month only, and then being slain by Menahem, who, according to Josephus, was commander of his forces. Menahem carried his arms as far as Tiphsah, which apparently resisted this red-handed assassin. The ruthless cruelty which he showed toward the hapless citizens attracted the notice of the Assyrian monarch, and led ultimately to that invasion of Israel which terminated in its destruction. God has ever sat as Judge over the nations. His judgments and sentences are exact. With what measure we mete, it shall be measured to us again.
Menahem obtained a temporary respite by the gift of one thousand talents, which secured the alliance of the king of Assyria, turning him from an avenger into a patron. See Hosea 5:13. This was the confederacy to which Isaiah probably refers in his chapter, Isaiah 8:1-22, when he alludes to a confederacy that seemed to bode no good. But on the bosom of this cloud of menace shone, as always, the rainbow of promise which is implied in the name "Immanuel." [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 15

1  Azariah's good reign
5  He dying a leper, is succeeded by Jotham
8  Zachariah the last of Jehu's generation, reigning ill, is slain by Shallum
13  Shallum, reigning a month, is slain by Nenahem
16  Menahem strengthens himself by Pul
21  Pekahiah succeeds him
23  Pekahiah is slain by Pekah
27  Pekah is oppressed by Tiglath-pileser, and slain by Hoshea
32  Jotham's good reign
36  Ahaz succeeds him

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 15:16 mean?

Then attacked Menahem - Tiphsah and all who [were] there its territory from Tirzah because not they did surrender therefore he attacked [it] - the women [there] who were pregnant he ripped open -
אָ֣ז יַכֶּֽה־ מְ֠נַחֵם אֶת־ תִּפְסַ֨ח וְאֶת־ כָּל־ אֲשֶׁר־ בָּ֤הּ גְּבוּלֶ֙יהָ֙ מִתִּרְצָ֔ה כִּ֛י לֹ֥א פָתַ֖ח וַיַּ֑ךְ אֵ֛ת הֶהָ֥רוֹתֶ֖יהָ בִּקֵּֽעַ פ

יַכֶּֽה־  attacked 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
מְ֠נַחֵם  Menahem 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְנַחֵם  
Sense: son of Gadi and king of the northern kingdom of Israel; slew the usurper Shallum to ascend the throne and reigned for ten years; contemporary with prophets Hosea and Amos.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
תִּפְסַ֨ח  Tiphsah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: תִּפְסַח  
Sense: a place at the northeast limit of Solomon’s empire; located on the Euphrates river.
אֲשֶׁר־  who  [were] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
גְּבוּלֶ֙יהָ֙  its  territory 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: גְּבוּל  
Sense: border, territory.
מִתִּרְצָ֔ה  from  Tirzah 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: תִּרְצָה 
Sense: one of the 7 daughters of Zelophehad the son of Hepher of the tribe of Manasseh.
כִּ֛י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
פָתַ֖ח  they  did  surrender 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּתַח 
Sense: to open.
וַיַּ֑ךְ  therefore  he  attacked  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
אֵ֛ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הֶהָ֥רוֹתֶ֖יהָ  the  women  [there]  who  were  pregnant 
Parse: Article, Adjective, feminine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: הָרֶה 
Sense: pregnant.
בִּקֵּֽעַ  he  ripped  open 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּקַע  
Sense: to split, cleave, break open, divide, break through, rip up, break up, tear.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation

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