HOS 5:8 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Blow the horn in Gibeah,
⇔ and the trumpet in Ramah.
⇔ Sound the alarm at Beyt-Aven:
⇔ ‘We’ll follow you into battle, Benyamin!’

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Σαλπίσατε σάλπιγγι ἐπὶ τοὺς βουνοὺς, ἠχήσατε ἐπὶ τῶν ὑψηλῶν, κηρύξατε ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Ὦν, ἐξέστη Βενιαμὶν,
(Salpisate salpingi epi tous bounous, aʸⱪaʸsate epi tōn hupsaʸlōn, kaʸruxate en tōi oikōi Ōn, exestaʸ Beniamin, )

BrTr Blow ye the trumpet on the hills, sound aloud on the heights: proclaim in the house of On, Benjamin is amazed.

ULT Blow the horn in Gibeah,
⇔ and the trumpet in Ramah.
⇔ Sound the alarm at Beth Aven:
⇔ ‘We will follow you, O Benjamin!’

UST Yahweh says, “Blow the ram horns at the city of Gibeah!
⇔ Blow the trumpets at the city of Ramah!
⇔ Shout a battle cry at the city of Beth Aven!
⇔ Lead us into battle, you people of the tribe of Benjamin!

5:8 Beth-aven means house of wickedness. This is a derogatory term for Bethel, which means house of God; see 1 Kings 12:28–29.

OEB ⇔ Blow the trumpet in Gibeah,
⇔ the clarion in Ramah!
⇔ Raise the alarm in Beth-aven:
⇔ we are with you, Benjamin![fn]

5:8 LXX: make Benjamin tremble

WEBBE ⇔ “Blow the cornet in Gibeah,
⇔ and the trumpet in Ramah!
⇔ Sound a battle cry at Beth Aven, behind you, Benjamin!

WMBB ⇔ “Blow the cornet in Gibeah,
⇔ and the shofar in Ramah!
⇔ Sound a battle cry at Beth Aven, behind you, Benjamin!

NET Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah!
⇔ Sound the trumpet in Ramah!
⇔ Sound the alarm in Beth Aven!
⇔ Tremble in fear, O Benjamin!

LSV Blow a horn in Gibeah, a trumpet in Ramah,
Shout, O Beth-Aven, after you, O Benjamin.

FBV Blow the horn in Gibeah! Sound the trumpet in Ramah! Shout an alarm in Beth-aven! Lead the way, Benjamin![fn]

5:8 The three places mentioned are on the northern border between Judah and Israel in the territory of the southern tribe of Benjamin.

T4T ⇔ Blow the rams’ horns in Gibeah town
⇔ and blow the trumpets in Ramah town!
⇔ Warn the people at Beth-Aven town;
⇔ you warriors of the tribe of Benjamin, lead the troops into the battle.

LEB • Blow the horn[fn] in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah.
• Sound the alarm in Beth-aven;
• look behind you, Benjamin.

5:? Hebrew “shofar”

BBE Let the horn be sounded in Gibeah and in Ramah; give a loud cry in Beth-aven, They are after you, O Benjamin.

Moff ⇔ Blow the bugle in Gibeah,
⇔ blow the clarion in Ramah,
⇔ sound the alarum at Bethel,
⇔ to startle Benjamin.

JPS Blow ye the horn in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah; sound an alarm at Beth-aven: 'Behind thee, O Benjamin!'

ASV Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: sound an alarm at Beth-aven; behind thee, O Benjamin.

DRA Blow ye the cornet in Gabaa, the trumpet in Rama: howl ye in Bethaven, behind thy back, O Benjamin.

YLT Blow ye a cornet in Gibeah, a trumpet in Ramah, Shout, O Beth-Aven, after thee, O Benjamin.

Drby Blow the horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah; cry aloud [at] Beth-aven: behind thee, O Benjamin!

RV Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: sound an alarm at Beth-aven; behind thee, O Benjamin.
(Blow ye/you_all the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: sound an alarm at Beth-aven; behind thee/you, Oh Benjamin. )

SLT Strike the horn upon the hill, and the trumpet upon the height: make a loud noise at the house of vanity after thee, O Benjamin.

Wbstr Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin.

KJB-1769 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee, O Benjamin.
(Blow ye/you_all the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Beth-aven, after thee/you, Oh Benjamin. )

KJB-1611 Blow yee the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry alowd at Beth-auen: after thee, O Beniamin.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Blowe with the shawmes at Gibea, and with the trumpet in Ramah, crye out at Bethauen, after thee O Beniamin.
(Blow with the shawm_instruments at Gibea, and with the trumpet in Ramah, cry out at Beth-aven, after thee/you Oh Benyamin.)

Gnva Blowe ye the trumpet in Gibeah, and the shaume in Ramah: crie out at Beth-auen, after thee, O Beniamin.
(Blow ye/you_all the trumpet in Gibeah, and the shawm_instrument in Ramah: cry out at Beth-aven, after thee/you, Oh Benyamin. )

Cvdl Blowe with the shawmes at Gabea, and with the trumpet in Rama, crie out at Bethauen vpon the yonside of Ben Iamin.
(Blow with the shawm_instruments at Gabea, and with the trumpet in Rama, cry out at Beth-aven upon the yonside of Ben Yamin.)

Wycl Sowne ye with a clarioun in Gabaa, with a trumpe in Rama; yelle ye in Bethauen, after thi bak, Beniamyn.
(Sowne ye/you_all with a clarioun in Gabaa, with a trumpet in Rama; yell ye/you_all in Beth-aven, after thy/your back, Benyamin.)

Luth Ja, blaset Posaunen zu Gibea, ja, trommetet zu Rama, ja rufet zu Beth-Aven: Hinter dir, Benjamin!
(Yes, blaset trombones to/for Gibea, ya, trumpet to/for Rama, ya calls to/for Beth-Aven: Hinter you/to_you(sg), Benyamin!)

ClVg Clangite buccina in Gabaa, tuba in Rama; ululate in Bethaven, post tergum tuum, Benjamin.
(Clangite buccina in/into/on Gabaa, tuba in/into/on Rama; ululate in/into/on Bethaven, after back(n) your(sg), Benyamin. )

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:8–15: The LORD will judge the people by war

In 5:8–11, the LORD warned Israel and Judah that he would soon destroy them by means of the enemy that had come to wage war against them. He also accused them of various kinds of sin. In 5:12–15, the LORD compared his judgment to destructive things like a moth, wood rot, and a lion. He assured the people that they would be destroyed in spite of their attempt to get help from Assyria. We do not know with certainty the date and the details of the war. However, some scholars believe that this is the war that is mentioned in 2 Kings 16:5–9 and 2 Chronicles 28:5–23.This may be the Syro-Ephraimite war, 735–732 B.C.E. In that war the kingdoms of Israel and Syria united to fight against the kingdoms of Assyria and Judah. The war greatly harmed both Israel and Judah. Israel and Syria lost the war, and the king of Assyria took control of most of the land of Israel. See Andersen and Freedman (pages 402–403), Hubbard (pages 118–122), Stuart (page 101), and Macintosh (page 194) for more details.

Here are some other examples of section headings:

War between Judah and Israel (GNT)

The Lord warns Israel and Judah (CEV)

5:8a–c

(combined/reordered)

¶ “Your^(plur) enemies are coming! Blow the horns/trumpets to warn everyone in Gibeah, Ramah, and Beth-aven!”

The ESV has been used as the source line in 5:8a–c, because it follows the interpretation that is recommended for 5:8c.

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

^8a Blow the horn in Gibeah, (ESV)

^8b the trumpet in Ramah. (ESV)

^8c Sound the alarm at Beth-aven (ESV)

These actions signaled that an enemy army was approaching. When an enemy army was near a city, the watchmen or soldiers who guarded the city blew a horn or a trumpet or in some way sounded an alarm. These three parallel lines emphasize that it was a time of war.

(ESV) Blow the horn…the trumpet…Sound the alarm: In this verse, the purpose of all three actions is the same. There are two main ways to interpret this purpose:

Their purpose was to warn the people. They gave a signal to the people that they should move to the safety of their city along with their flocks and cattle.Macintosh (page 194). For example:
“Blow the horn in Gibeah and the trumpet in Ramah. Give the warning at Beth Aven (NCV) (CEV, ESV, GW, NAB, NASB, NCV, NET, NJPS, NRSV)Most of these versions have “sound the alarm.” The implicit purpose of “sound the alarm” in these versions is probably to warn. However, it is also possible to interpret the purpose as a call to do battle.
Their purpose was to summon their soldiers to fight against the enemy. For example:
“Sound the trumpet in Gibeah, the horn in Ramah. Raise the battle cry in Beth Aven. (NIV) (BSB, GNT, NIV, NJB, NLT, REB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) along with most versions and commentaries. However, it is possible that the purpose was both to warn the people and also to summon their troops into battle.

horn: The horn or “shophar” was an instrument made from a ram’s horn.

trumpet: The trumpet was a long, slender instrument made of metal.

Sound the alarm: This command may refer to blowing into one of the instruments. It may also refer to shouting an alarm. In some languages, it may be necessary to indicate what the warning or alarm was about. If that is true in your language, try to use an expression that will allow for both interpretations (1) and (2). For example:

Warn the people…that their enemies are coming.

Give a signal to the people…that they need to prepare for war.

(ESV) Gibeah…Ramah…Beth-aven: These three cities were located in the territory of the tribe of Benjamin. This territory was located between the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.According to Wood (page 191), Gibeah and Ramah were located near the northern border of Judah. Bethel was located near the southern border of Israel. See 1 Kings 12:28–29.

Beth-aven: Here Beth-aven probably refers to Bethel. The name Beth-aven means “house of wickedness.” Some alternate ways that versions spell this name are Beth Aven and Bethaven. See also the note on Beth-aven in 4:15b.

General Comment on 5:8a–c

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these parallel statements. For example:

Blow the horns and trumpets to warn your fellow residents that war is about to begin. Give/Shout the alarm in Gibeah, Ramah, and Beth-aven.

Signal everyone in Gibeah, Ramah, and Beth-aven to prepare for the arrival of their enemies.

5:8a

Blow the ram’s horn in Gibeah,

¶ “The enemy is coming! Blow^(plur) the horn in the city of Gibeah to warn the people of danger.

5:8b

the trumpet in Ramah;

Blow the trumpet in the city of Ramah.

5:8c

raise the battle cry in Beth-aven:

Warn the people of Beth-aven that their enemies are coming.”
Shout/Signal to the people in/at the city of Beth Aven to prepare for battle.”

5:8d

Lead on, O Benjamin!

“We^(excl) will follow you^(plur) in battle, men of Benjamin.”
The allies of Benjamin said, “Warriors of Benjamin, you go first, we will follow.”

Lead on, O Benjamin: There is a textual issue here as well as an interpretation issue. First the Notes will discuss the textual issue:

The Masoretic Text has a phrase that means “after/behind you, Benjamin!” For example:
We are behind you, Benjamin! (NJB) (BSB, CEV, ESV, GNT, KJV, NAB, NASB, NCV, NIV, NJB, NLT, NRSV, REB)
The LXX has a phrase that means “Tremble, O Benjamin!” For example:
Tremble in fear, O Benjamin! (NET) (NET, RSV)

It is recommended that you follow textual option (1) along with most English versions.

There are three ways to interpret the Hebrew phrase that is literally “after/behind you, Benjamin:”

The Hebrew phrase “after/behind you, Benjamin!” is a promise. The people shouting this phrase are promising to follow the soldiers of Benjamin into battle. They will be allies with the tribe of Benjamin against a common enemy. For example:
we follow you, O Benjamin! (ESV) (BSB, ESV, KJV, NIV, NJB, NLT, REB)
The Hebrew phrase “after/behind you, Benjamin!” is a rallying cry. The people shouting this phrase are giving a signal to the army of Benjamin to begin fighting. For example:
Into battle, men of Benjamin! (GNT) (GNT, NCV)
The Hebrew phrase “after/behind you, Benjamin!” is a warning. The people shouting this phrase are warning the people of Benjamin that the enemy army is located behind them. The enemy is at their border and is about to attack. For example:
look behind you, Benjamin! (NRSV) (CEV, NAB, NASB, NRSV)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). However, interpretation (2) is also acceptable. Both interpretations indicate that it was time to fight the enemy.The expression “after/behind you, Benjamin” is from the song of war of Deborah in Judges 5:14. The people of Hosea's time probably knew the expression well. However, the historical situation is different, so the participants may not be the same.

General Comment on 5:8a–d

In 5:8a–c the LORD is the speaker. He told the sentries to warn the people. In 5:8d there is a change of speaker. We do not know who promised to follow Benjamin, but clearly they were friends or allies. In some languages, it may be necessary to make the change of speaker explicit. For example:

^8d The friends/allies of the people of Benjamin said, “Men of Benjamin, we will follow you.”

Parallel HOS 5:8