Hosea 5 8

Hosea 5:8 kjv

Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin.

Hosea 5:8 nkjv

"Blow the ram's horn in Gibeah, The trumpet in Ramah! Cry aloud at Beth Aven, 'Look behind you, O Benjamin!'

Hosea 5:8 niv

"Sound the trumpet in Gibeah, the horn in Ramah. Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven; lead on, Benjamin.

Hosea 5:8 esv

Blow the horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah. Sound the alarm at Beth-aven; we follow you, O Benjamin!

Hosea 5:8 nlt

"Sound the alarm in Gibeah!
Blow the trumpet in Ramah!
Raise the battle cry in Beth-aven !
Lead on into battle, O warriors of Benjamin!

Hosea 5 8 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Hosea 5Hear this, you priests! Pay attention, royal house, give ear, house of Israel! For judgment is against you; you were a snare at Mizpah and a net spread on Tabor.Directly connected narrative of judgment
Jer 5:31My people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?God's people straying
Ezek 22Its princes in its midst are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and destroy life, to get dishonest gain.Condemnation of leadership
Micah 1Therefore I will make myself like the north wind and rain. I will not withhold my love. I will bring my wrath upon them.Divine judgment from the north
Jer 6:1Flee for safety, O people of Benjamin, from the midst of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and raise a signal fire in Beth-Haccherem; for disaster looms out of the north, and great destruction.Warning of impending disaster
Isa 10:3What will you do on the day of punishment, in the devastation from afar? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your defenseless children?Consequences of sin
Amos 5:5But do not seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal; do not pass over to Beer-Sheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, and Bethel shall come to nothing.Warning against false worship
Amos 5:13Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.Wisdom in times of trouble
1 Cor 5:8Let us, then celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.Call to purity and truth
Matt 7:24Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.Actions validating belief
Luke 12:54He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you say at once, 'A shower is coming.' And so it happens.Discernment of signs
John 3:19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.Opposition to divine truth
Rom 11:22See then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.God's dual nature
Gal 6:7Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. For whatever one sows, that will he also reap.Principle of sowing and reaping
Ezek 33:1-6When a watchman sees the sword coming on the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, and if he sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken for his iniquity, but his blood is on the watchman's hand.Responsibility of the watchman
Joel 2:1Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; it is nearThe Day of the Lord announcement
Zech 11:12Then I said to them, "If it is your pleasure, give me my wages; but if not, withhold them." And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver.God's faithfulness contrasted
Jer 18:7-10If at any time I speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in my sight by not obeying my voice, then I will relent of the disaster that I have planned for it. And if at any time I speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in my sight by not obeying my voice, then I will relent of the disaster that I have planned for it.Conditional repentance
Isa 28:1-2Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of its glorious beauty, which is on the head of the rich pasture of those overcome with wine! Behold, the Lord has one who is mighty and strong; like a torrent of hail, a destructive tempest, like a storm of water bursting in, he will cast it down with violence to the ground.Judgment on Ephraim

Hosea 5 verses

Hosea 5 8 Meaning

The inhabitants of Gibeah and Ramah are called to recognize the trumpet blasts of war announcing the enemy's approach, signaling Gibeah as a source of disaster. The verse underscores a divine pronouncement of judgment specifically against Ephraim, identifying the invasion as originating from the north, from Beth Aven.

Hosea 5 8 Context

Hosea 5:8 addresses the imminent judgment upon the northern kingdom of Israel, specifically targeting its people and their leaders. The prophet Hosea is delivering a message of doom due to Israel's persistent idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. The verse comes after the indictment of religious and royal leadership in verses 1-2. The call to attention by the priests and the royal house, who were supposed to guide the nation, highlights their complicity in its downfall. The historical context involves the escalating tensions between Israel and Assyria. The prophet is sounding an alarm, likening the coming invasion to a devastating storm that originates from the north. This prophecy aligns with the historical events leading to the Assyrian conquests of the northern kingdom. The reference to Beth Aven (house of wickedness) is a scornful renaming of Bethel, a center of calf worship established by Jeroboam, further condemning their false religious practices.

Hosea 5 8 Word Analysis

  • "Blow ye the trumpet in Gibeah":
    • "Blow" (Hebrew: teru- (תְּרוּ) - to make a noise, to cry aloud, sound an alarm. Implies an urgent, loud, public announcement, specifically a war trumpet blast.
    • "trumpet" (Hebrew: shophar (שׁוֹפָר) - a ram's horn. The ram's horn was used to signal danger, call to assembly, and announce divine presence or judgment. Its sounding was a universally understood signal of impending crisis.
    • "in Gibeah" (Hebrew: Gibah (גִּבְעָה) - literally "hill". Gibeah was a town associated with a great sin in Judges 19-21, often linked with evil and depravity. Here, it likely refers to a location or possibly symbolically represents the locus of the impending disaster for Ephraim. Some scholars suggest it might be an allusion to Gibeah of Benjamin.
  • "and the trumpet in Ramah":
    • "and" (Hebrew: wě- (וְ) - connects the actions, showing a coordinated announcement.
    • "trumpet" (Hebrew: shophar (שׁוֹפָר) - as above, reinforcing the signal of war.
    • "in Ramah" (Hebrew: Rāmah (רָמָה) - literally "height, hill". A town often associated with vigilance and prophecy. It could refer to Ramah in Benjamin or other places of the same name, serving as a signaling point for the approaching threat.
  • "give warning in Beth-aven":
    • "give warning" (Hebrew: hagiad (הַגִּיד) - to declare, make known, announce. Similar to sounding a trumpet, it signifies making the impending doom known.
    • "in Beth-aven" (Hebrew: bêṯ-ā-wên (בֵּית־אָ֫וֶן) - literally "house of iniquity/wickedness". This is a derogatory term for Bethel, a prominent site of Israel's idolatrous worship of the golden calf established by Jeroboam. It highlights God's contempt for their false religious practices.

Words-group analysis:

  • "Blow ye the trumpet in Gibeah and the trumpet in Ramah": This pairing of cities with the signal of the trumpet creates a sense of widespread alarm. Gibeah and Ramah are placed on the alert, signifying that the danger is approaching from a direction that would affect these specific locales or regions. The repetition of the "trumpet" emphasizes the urgency and seriousness of the message.
  • "give warning in Beth-aven": The act of giving warning is directed specifically at Beth-aven (Bethel). This points to a direct confrontation with their false worship. God is declaring His judgment through their own place of perceived spiritual security. The naming of Beth-aven serves as a pointed accusation of their sin. The verse as a whole serves as a pre-apocalyptic warning from the "house of Israel."

Hosea 5 8 Bonus Section

The use of geographical markers like Gibeah and Ramah, alongside the theological condemnation of Beth-aven, provides a layered warning. It's both a tactical military alert and a spiritual pronouncement. The enemies of Israel, as the instrument of God's judgment, are depicted as advancing from the north, aligning with the historical geopolitical realities of that era. The prophecy in Hosea 5:8 echoes the broader prophetic theme of the "Day of the Lord," a concept understood as a day of divine judgment against sin, often manifested through military conquest. The phrase "house of Israel" collectively signifies the entire nation, underscoring that no part of the kingdom is exempt from this pronouncement of doom.

Hosea 5 8 Commentary

Hosea 5:8 serves as a critical announcement of impending judgment upon Israel, emphasizing the divine initiation of this catastrophe. The "trumpet" is a clarion call to wake up to the reality of war, a war initiated by God through external forces because of Israel's pervasive sin and spiritual corruption. Gibeah and Ramah, mentioned as points of alarm, likely represent the key geographical areas and communities that will be directly affected. The prophetic designation of Bethel as "Beth-aven" (House of Iniquity) is a stark indictment of the kingdom's idol worship, particularly the golden calf cult. This verse highlights that judgment originates from the north, a direction often associated with conquerors like Assyria, and specifically calls out Beth Aven as the site from which this disaster will be proclaimed or originating. It’s a warning that their false worship will lead directly to their destruction, and that God’s justice is active and severe against His unfaithful people.