Hosea 5:8

"Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah; sound an alarm at Bethaven; behind thee, O Benjamin."

This blowing of horns was an idiomatic expression that meant, arouse and warn the whole country against terrible and impending danger. In this case it was war.

"The cornet ... the trumpet ..." This symbol for general alarm had originated during the wilderness wanderings of the chosen people during which time the sounding of the shopar, or ram's horn, signaled the break of camp, or any other important public event. In time, it became universally accepted among the Hebrews as the idiom for any type of general, emergency alert. Jesus Christ even applied it to the general assembly of all mankind for the Great Assize at the last day, an event which he said would be ushered in by "the sound of the trumpet." (Matthew 24:31). Paul used the same metaphor (1 Corinthians 15:52).

The cornet and the trumpet appear here in parallel; Hosea did not mean to stress any difference in the instruments. The two were probably slight variants of the same instrument. The Mishna states that the shopar was sometimes straight and sometimes curved, and usually a simple ram's horn.[20]

The particular war prophesied by this passage was the prelude to the destruction of all northern Israel and took place in 734 B.C. McKeating gives this summary of it:

Israel and Syria, who were old enemies decided to make common cause against Assyria. They tried to force Judah to join; and, when Judah under king Ahaz resisted, they attacked Judah and besieged Jerusalem. Judah in desperation appealed to the Assyrians, who were only too ready to intervene. In the end, Syria, Israel, and Judah were all losers. (2 Kings 16:5-9; Isaiah 7).[21]

"Behind thee, O Benjamin ..." This indicated that Israel had already been conquered, according to Hailey and others,[22] but it appears more likely, in the light of the facts, that Israel itself in league with Syria was at this point the enemy. Note that the popular pagan shrine Beth-el (meaning place of God) is denied such a sacred title by Hosea and instead is called Beth-aven (place of vanity, or place of evil).

"Gibeah...Ramah ..." These may have been places where pagan shrines were situated; but this does not appear to be the reason for their mention here. Harper stated that, "They represent all hill-towns from which alarm could easily be sounded."[23]