993. Boanérges
Lexical Summary
Boanérges: Sons of Thunder

Original Word: Βοανηργές
Part of Speech: Proper Noun, Indeclinable
Transliteration: Boanérges
Pronunciation: bo-an-ER-ges
Phonetic Spelling: (bo-an-erg-es')
KJV: Boanerges
NASB: Boanerges
Word Origin: [of Chaldee origin (H112 (אִדּוֹ - Iddo)3 and H726 (אֲרוֹמִי - Heights)6)]

1. sons of commotion
2. Boanerges, an epithet of two of the apostles

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Boanerges.

Of Chaldee origin (ben and rgaz); sons of commotion; Boanerges, an epithet of two of the apostles -- Boanerges.

see HEBREW ben

see HEBREW rgaz

HELPS Word-studies

993 Boanergés – an Aramaic term transliterated from two Semitic roots: bēn ("sons") and regesh ("of thunder, tumult"; see Strong's OT #1123, 7285). 993 /Boanergés ("sons of thunder") is only used in Mk 3:17. We don't know why Jesus named these brothers (James, John), "sons of tumult," but their passion and boldness in the past no doubt aptly fit their future calling!

He surnamed them Boanerges – M. Vincent, "The reason of its bestowal we do not know. It seems to have been intended as a title of honor, though not perpetuated like the surname Peter (this being the only instance of its occurrence). . . . It is justified by the impetuosity and zeal which characterized both the brothers, which prompted them to suggest the calling of fire from heaven to consume the inhospitable Samaritan village (Lk 9:54); which marked James as the victim of an early martyrdom (Ac 12:2); and which sounds in the thunders of John's Apocalypse" (WS, 98).

["Boanerges" is an Aramaic term, interpreted by Mark (for his non-Jewish audience who were probably Romans). There are some 16 Aramaic and Latin terms in Mark's Gospel (see 2:4, 3:17, 5:9, 5:41, 7:4, 7:11, 7:34, 8, 9, 11;, 12:42, 14:36, 15, 15:34, 15:39, 44).]

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of Aramaic origin ben and regaz
Definition
Boanerges, an epithet applied to the two sons of Zebedee
NASB Translation
Boanerges (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 993: Βοανεργές

Βοανεργές ((R G, so Suidas (ed. Gaisf. 751 a.); but) L T Tr WH Βοανηργές), Boanerges, Hebrew רֶגֶשׁ בֲּנֵי i. e. sons of thunder (as Mark himself explains it) (the name given by our Lord to James and John the sons of Zebedee): Mark 3:17; בְּ pronounced Boa as Noabhyim for Nebhyim; see Lightfoot Horae Hebrew at the passage; רֶגֶשׁ, in Psalm 55:15 a tumultuous crowd, seems in Syriac to have signified thunder; so that the name Βοανηργές seems to denote fiery and destructive zeal that may be likened to a thunderstorm, and to make reference to the occurrence narrated in Luke 9:54. (Cf. Dr. James Morison's Commentary on Mark, the passage cited; Kautzsch, Gram. d. Biblical-Aram., p. 9.)

Topical Lexicon
Designation and Narrative Setting

The single New Testament appearance of the term occurs in Mark 3:17, where Jesus “gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder” to James and John, the two fishermen who, with Peter, formed the innermost circle of the Twelve. The title is unique among the nicknames Jesus bestowed, functioning both as a prophetic insight into their temperaments and as a formative badge for their future service.

Thunder Imagery in Scripture

1. Voice of God: In Exodus 19:16 thunder signals the Lord’s descent on Sinai, and Psalm 29 repeatedly links “the voice of the LORD” with thunder over roaring waters.
2. Divine Judgment: 1 Samuel 7:10 and Job 37:2–5 portray thunder as the rumble of divine authority bringing victory or awe.
3. Eschatological Prelude: Revelation 10:3–4 and Revelation 19:6 describe thunderous sounds surrounding heavenly revelation and final judgment.

By associating James and John with thunder, Jesus tapped into this rich biblical backdrop, identifying them as men through whom God’s powerful voice and decisive action would later resound.

Character Portrait of James and John

• Zeal and Impulsiveness: Luke 9:54 records their request, “Lord, do You want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?”—an incident that perfectly reflects a thunder-like disposition.
• Ambition: In Mark 10:37 they ask, “Grant that in Your glory we may sit one at Your right and the other at Your left,” revealing boldness bordering on presumption.
• Loyalty and Courage: They swiftly left their nets (Mark 1:20) and remained close to Jesus in critical moments such as the raising of Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5:37) and the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:2).

Transformation through Discipleship

Though once quick to unleash judgment, John ultimately became a foremost voice of love—“Beloved, let us love one another” (1 John 4:7). The untempered thunder was harnessed into a powerful yet controlled proclamation of grace. James’s thunderous faith found expression in fearless martyrdom (Acts 12:2). The progression from tempestuous zeal to Spirit-directed boldness illustrates sanctification: human intensity is not suppressed but re-channeled for godly purposes.

Ministerial Implications

1. Recognizing Raw Potential: Like Jesus, Christian leaders discern the latent energy within strong personalities and call it forth for kingdom work rather than merely restraining it.
2. Balancing Zeal with Love: Boanerges reminds believers that fervor divorced from compassion can harm, but fervor disciplined by the Spirit can shake nations (Acts 4:13, Acts 4:31).
3. Encouragement for Growth: The nickname endured even after the men matured, underscoring that early flaws do not disqualify; instead, they testify to Christ’s transforming power.

Historical and Patristic Reception

Early church writers—from Irenaeus to Chrysostom—noticed the harmony between James’s decisive witness in death and John’s thunderous yet tender proclamation in life and letters. Liturgical calendars celebrate James as the first apostolic martyr and John as the revelator, both embodying the thunder motif in distinct but complementary ways.

Theological Reflection

Boanerges encapsulates divine sovereignty over human personality. The same God who speaks in thunder molds passionate disciples into pillars (Galatians 2:9). When the Gospel grips the human heart, natural vigor is neither erased nor idolized; it is redeemed, yielding lives that echo the majestic rumble of God’s own voice in word and deed.

Forms and Transliterations
Βοανηργες Βοανηργές Boanerges Boanergés Boanērges Boanērgés
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Mark 3:17 N
GRK: αὐτοῖς ὀνόματα Βοανηργές ὅ ἐστιν
NAS: the name Boanerges, which
KJV: them Boanerges, which is,
INT: to them [the] name Boanerges which is

Strong's Greek 993
1 Occurrence


Βοανηργές — 1 Occ.

992
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