John Calvin 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)

The Prophet speaks here more emphatically, and these words contain a vivid portrayal; for the Prophet here assumes the role of a herald, or he introduces heralds who declare and proclaim war. The truth itself should indeed storm not only our ears but also our hearts, and be more powerful than any trumpet: yet we see how unconcerned we are.

Therefore, the Lord is here compelled to assign his servant the role of a herald, or at least he commands his servant to send out heralds to proclaim war everywhere throughout the whole kingdom of Israel. This was not, strictly speaking, the office of a Prophet. But we see that Ezekiel was ordered by the Lord to besiege Jerusalem for a time—and why? Because his whole teaching, after the Jews had been threatened a thousand times, became ineffective. God then added visions, which more effectually roused sluggish men.

So also Hosea does in this place: Shout with the trumpet in Gibeah, blow the cornet in Ramah, and sound the horn in Beth-aven. For God, as we have said, is pursuing Israel and will not allow them to rest, so that the Israelites might know that God does not threaten in vain, that his reproofs are not empty threats, but that he is serious when he reproves the ungodly, and that execution, as they say, will follow what he teaches. In the same manner Paul also says,

Vengeance is prepared by us, and is in readiness against all those who extol themselves against the greatness of Christ, however great they may be (2 Corinthians 10:5–6).

Since, then, the ungodly are accustomed to make this objection, that the Prophets preach nothing but words, Hosea here testifies that he did not terrify men in vain, but that the effect, as they say, would immediately follow, unless they reconciled themselves to God.

Now, as we understand the Prophet’s purpose, let us be careful to receive by faith that peace which the Lord daily proclaims to us by his messengers. For what is the Gospel but what Paul declares it to be?

He says, We discharge the office of ambassadors for Christ, that you may be reconciled to God, and in Christ’s name we exhort you to return into favor with God (2 Corinthians 5:20).

We then see that all the ministers of the Gospel are God’s heralds, who invite us to peace and promise that God is ready to grant us pardon, if we seek him with the heart. But if we do not receive this message and this embassy, there will remain for us the dreadful judgment of which the Prophet now speaks, and our impiety will bring upon us this awful doom. As though God were now declaring war against all the ungodly and the despisers of his grace, the Prophet says that they will find that God is armed for vengeance.

Moreover, the Prophet has doubtless mentioned here Gibeah, Ramah, and Beth-aven because great assemblies usually met in these places; and it may also be that they were strong fortresses. Since then the Israelites thought themselves unconquerable because they had invincible strongholds against their enemies, the Prophet here expressly declares war against them. Everywhere then, sound the trumpet, or blow the horn, or blow the cornet, especially in the chief places of the kingdom.

After you, O Benjamin. Benjamin is to be understood here, by a figure of speech, as representing the whole of Israel, because he was a brother of Joseph by the same mother; the tribe of Benjamin is therefore everywhere joined with Ephraim. It is at the same time certain that the Prophet does not here confine his address to one tribe, but includes, under one tribe or one part, the whole kingdom of Israel.