John Gill Commentary 2 Kings 15:16

"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." — 2 Kings 15:16 (ASV)

Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were in it, and the
coasts of it from Tirzah
The Jewish writers commonly consider this Tiphsah to be outside 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 in it 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.