When Mark lists the Twelve, he notes that Jesus gave James and John the name Boanerges, which Mark explains for his readers as 'Sons of Thunder.'
Jesus in Context
Boanerges: The Sons of Thunder
Mark preserves the Semitic nickname Boanerges, which Jesus gives to James and John and explains as meaning Sons of Thunder.
Introduction
Historical and Cultural Context
Boanerges is a transliteration of a Semitic expression preserved within the Greek Gospel. Mark occasionally retains Aramaic or Semitic words and then translates them for readers who may not understand them.
Nicknames and additional names were common in antiquity and could distinguish people who shared common personal names. The precise reason Jesus chose this particular nickname is not stated by Mark.
Why It Matters
The preserved nickname gives readers a small glimpse of the multilingual environment surrounding Jesus and His disciples. It also cautions against treating every nickname as though its complete biographical explanation were known; Mark supplies the translation but not an explicit explanation of why it was given.