Charles Ellicott Commentary Hosea 5:8

"Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: sound an alarm at Beth-aven; behind thee, O Benjamin." — Hosea 5:8 (ASV)

Cornet ... trumpet.— The two kinds of trumpet mentioned here are the cornet, made like the bent horn of an animal, and the long, straight metallic trumpet, used for sounding an alarm and assembling the congregation (Numbers 10:2). Gibeah and Ramah were lofty hills on the northern boundary of Benjamin. From the parallel passage, Isaiah 10:29, we conclude that Gibeah lay between Jerusalem and Ramah (the modern Er Ram), not far from the road which passes in a northern direction from Jerusalem to Mount Ephraim.

A lofty hill (Tel el Ful), which satisfies these conditions, has been discovered by Robinson. From this hill, there is a view over almost the whole tribal region of Benjamin, and Gibeah is probably to be identified with this spot.

Hosea does not mention the capital, but he reveals the imminent danger of Jerusalem if these high towers, within sight of her defenders, were giving the alarm at the approach of the Assyrian king.

After you is obscure. Translate, He (the enemy) is behind you, O Benjamin, the tribe in which the capital was situated. This combined disaster for both Israel and Judah is reiterated in a variety of ways. “The tribes of Israel” are in parallelism with “Ephraim.”