Mark 3 · Verse 17

Mark 3:17

And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
Mark 3:17, King James Version

Mark 3:17 in other translations

BSBJames son of Zebedee and his brother John (whom He named Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”),
WEBJames the son of Zebedee; and John, the brother of James, (whom he called Boanerges, which means, Sons of Thunder);
ASVand James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and them he surnamed Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder:
YLTand James of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and he put on them names--Boanerges, that is, ‘Sons of thunder;'
DARBYand James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and he gave them the surname of Boanerges, that is, Sons of thunder;
BBEAnd to James, the son of Zebedee, and John, the brother of James, he gave the second name of Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder:
WebsterAnd James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, (and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder,)

What does Mark 3:17 mean?

Barnes' Notes
Verse 17. Boanerges. This word is made up of two Hebrew words, signifying sons of thunder; meaning that they, on some accounts. resembled thunder. Mt 1:1. It is not known why this name was given to James and John. They are nowhere else called by it. Some suppose it was because they wished to call down fire from heaven, and consume a certain village of the Samaritans, Lk 9:54. It is, however, more probable that it was on account of something fervid, and glowing, and powerful, in their genius and eloquence.

(m) "thunder" Isa 58:1, Jer 23:29

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 17 Sons of thunder - A Hebraism for thunderers; probably so named because of their zeal and power in preaching the Gospel. The term Boanerges is neither Hebrew nor Syriac. Calmet and others think that there is reason to believe that the Greek transcribers have not copied it exactly. בני רעם beney raam, which the ancient Greeks would pronounce Beneregem, and which means sons of thunder, was probably the appellative used by our Lord: or בני רעש beni reges, sons of tempest, which comes nearest to the Boanerges of the evangelist. St. Jerome, on Daniel 1, gives בני רעם (which he writes Benereem, softening the sound of the ע ain) as the more likely reading, and Luther, supposing our Lord spoke in Hebrew, gives the proper Hebrew term above mentioned, which he writes Bnehargem. Some think that the reason why our Lord gave this appellative to the sons of Zebedee was, their desire to bring fire down from heaven, i.e. a storm of thunder and lightning, to overturn and consume a certain Samaritan village, the inhabitants of which would not receive their Master. See the account in Luk 9:53, Luk 9:54 (note). It was a very usual thing among the Jews to give surnames, which signified some particular quality or excellence, to their rabbins. See several instances in Schoettgen.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Mark 3:13-21

Christ calls whom he will; for his grace is his own. He had called the apostles to separate themselves from the crowd, and they came unto him. He now gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. May the Lord send forth more and more of those who have been with him, and have learned of him to preach his gospel, to be instruments in his blessed work. Those whose hearts are enlarged in the work of God…

Read the full comment on Mark 3:13-21 →

Mark 3:17 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

καὶkaiandG2532
ἸάκωβονIakōbonJamesG2385
τὸνtonthe [son]G3588
τοῦtou<the>G3588
ΖεβεδαίουZebedaiouof ZebedeeG2199
καὶkaiandG2532
ἸωάννηνIōannēnJohnG2491
τὸνtontheG3588
ἀδελφὸνadelphonbrotherG80
τοῦtou<the>G3588
Ἰακώβου,Iakōbouof James,G2385
καὶkaiandG2532
ἐπέθηκενepethēkenHe addedG2007
αὐτοῖςautoisto them [the]G846
ὀνόματαonomatanamesG3686
Βοανηργές,BoanērgesBoanerges,G993
ὅhowhichG3739
ἐστινestinisG1510
υἱοὶhuioiSonsG5207
βροντῆς·brontēsof thunder;G1027

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Mark 3:17

  • Mark 5:37

    And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

  • Hebrews 4:12

    For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

  • Jeremiah 23:29

    Is not my word like as a fire? saith the Lord; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

  • Mark 14:33

    And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;

  • John 21:20-25

    Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? …

  • John 21:2

    There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples.

  • Isaiah 58:1

    Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.

  • Mark 9:2

    And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.

  • Mark 10:35

    And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.

  • Acts 12:1

    Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

  • Mark 1:19-20

    And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets. And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.

  • Revelation 10:11

    And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
James.
1:19,20; 5:37; 9:2; 10:35; 14:33; Joh 21:2,20-25; Ac 12:1
he surnamed.
Isa 58:1; Jer 23:29; Heb 4:12; Re 10:11

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Mark 3:16

    And Simon he surnamed Peter;

  • Mark 3:17

    And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:

  • Mark 3:18

    And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

Read all of Mark 3

Mark 3:17 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y á Jacobo, hijo de Zebedeo, y á Juan hermano de Jacobo; y les apellidó Boanerges, que es, Hijos del trueno;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et Jacques le fils de Zébédée et Jean le frère de Jacques, et il les surnomma Boanergès, ce qui est: fils de tonnerre;
German
Elberfelder 1871		und Jakobus, den Sohn des Zebedäus, und Johannes, den Bruder des Jakobus, und er gab ihnen den Beinamen Boanerges, das ist Söhne des Donners;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et Jacobum Zebedæi, et Joannem fratrem Jacobi, et imposuit eis nomina Boanerges, quod est, Filii tonitrui: