The Meaning of Mark 3:17 Explained

Mark 3:17

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

YLT: and James of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and he put on them names -- Boanerges, that is, 'Sons of thunder;'

Darby: and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and he gave them the surname of Boanerges, that is, Sons of thunder;

ASV: and James the'son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and them he surnamed Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Mark 3:17 Mean?

Study Notes

James
Two persons are called by this name in the N.T.
(1) James the son of Zebedee, an apostle Matthew 10:2 and the brother of the apostle John, apart from whom he is never mentioned, and with whom, together with Peter, he was admitted to the especial intimacy of our Lord.; Matthew 17:1 ; Mark 5:37 ; Mark 9:2 ; Mark 14:33 He was martyred by Herod. Acts 12:2
(2) A son of Alphaeus (or Cleopas) and Mary the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus. (See Scofield " Matthew 1:16 ") and brother of Joses. Mark 15:40 . He was, therefore, a cousin of the Lord Jesus. He is called James "the less" Mark 15:40 lit. little, i.e. of shorter stature than James the son of Zebedee). He was an apostle. Matthew 10:3 It has been conjectured that "Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus" Matthew 10:3 was identical with the Juda of Luke 6:16 who is there called "of i.e. 'son' or 'brother' as is has been variously translated] James." A Juda is mentioned with a James and Joses and Simon in Mark 6:3 as "brother" of our Lord (See Scofield " Matthew 13:55 , marg.). Matthew 13:55 . The Gospels mention no other James who could be called the brother of the Lord Jesus, but James the less was certainly the son of Alphaeus and Mary the sister of our Lord's mother. The conclusion seems, therefore most probable that; Matthew 10:3 ; Matthew 13:55 ; Mark 3:18 ; Mark 6:3 ; Luke 6:15 ; Acts 1:13 ; Acts 12:17 ; Mark 15:13 ; Galatians 1:19 ; Galatians 2:9 ; Galatians 2:12 ; James 1:1 refer to James the less, son of Alphaeus and Mary, and cousin, or, according to Jewish usage, "brother" of the Lord Jesus. He was the author of the Epistle of James.

Context Summary

Mark 3:1-19 - The Lord Of The Sabbath
The ritualist demands the outward, the conventional, the ancient usage of the past. Christ says, "Be natural." The needs of man, whether of body or of soul, are greater than ceremonial restriction. Ceremonies are only expressions of life, and where life is wanting, they are meaningless and void.
The withered hand, Mark 3:1-6. Through long disuse of powers which God has given, but which we have refrained from exercising, degeneration may have set in; Christ, however, bids us exert them again. In so far as we dare to obey, we shall find ourselves able. Dare to speak, or pray, or work, not at the impulse of your nature, but at His bidding, and you will suddenly find yourself given power.
The Apostolate, Mark 2:7-19. On three occasions Christ used the boat as His pulpit, Mark 4:1; Luke 5:3. We must be disciples (learners), before we can be apostles (those sent). As the Father sent the Master, so the Master sends us. Our mission is threefold-to bear Him company, to perform His errands, and to cast out devils. What infinite variety in the apostolic band! The Boanergic group of four; the group of questioners who were sometimes doubters; and the group of practical men, whose business capacity was a snare at least to one. If there was a traitor even amid the Twelve, who can expect to find his fields free from tares? [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 3

1  Jesus heals the withered hand,
10  and many other infirmities;
11  rebukes the unclean spirit;
13  chooses his twelve apostles;
22  convinces the blasphemy of casting out demons by Beelzebub;
31  and shows who are his brother, sister, and mother

Greek Commentary for Mark 3:17

Boanerges, which is Sons of thunder [οανηργες ο εστιν υιοι βροντης]
This Hebrew nickname is given only by Mark and the reason for it is not clear. It may refer to the fiery temperament revealed in Luke 9:34 when James and John wanted to call down fire on the Samaritan villages that were unfriendly to them. The word literally means sons of tumult, sons of thunder in Syriac. No other epithets are given by Mark save descriptions to distinguish as Simon the Cananaean (or Zealot) and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him (Mark 3:19). Andrew, (from ανηρ — anēr a man) and Philip (Philippos, fond of horses) are both Greek names. Bartholomew, son of Tolmai, is the Nathanael of John‘s Gospel (John 21:2). He probably had both names. Matthew is a Hebrew name meaning gift of God Thomas is Hebrew and means Twin (Didymus, John 11:16). There are two uses of the name of James Thaddeus is another name for Lebbaeus. [source]
He surnamed them Boanerges [ἐπέθηκεν αὐτοῖς ὄνομα Βοανηργές]
Lit.,he put upon them the name. Some uncertainty attaches to both the origin and the application of the name. Most of the best texts read ὀνόματα , names, instead of name. This would indicate that each of the two was surnamed a “son of thunder.” Some, however, have claimed that it was a dual name given to them as a pair, as the name Dioscuri was given to Castor and Pollux. 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; possibly because the inconvenience of a common surname, which would not have sufficiently designated which of them was intended, may have hindered it from ever growing into an appellation. 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 (Luke 9:54); which marked James as the victim of an early martyrdom (Acts 12:2); and which sounds in the thunders of John's Apocalypse. The Greek Church calls John Βροντόφωνος , the thunder-voiced. The phrase, sons of, is a familiar Hebrew idiom, in which the distinguishing characteristic of the individual or thing named is regarded as his parent. Thus sparks are sons of fire (Job 5:7); threshed corn is son of the floor (Isaiah 21:10). Compare son of perdition (John 17:12); sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2; Ephesians 5:6). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Mark 3:17

Luke 6:14 James and John []
See on Mark 3:17. [source]
John 14:22 Not Iscariot [ουχ ο Ισκαριωτης]
Judas Iscariot had gone (John 13:30), but John is anxious to make it clear that this Judas (common name, two apostles also named James) was not the infamous traitor. He is also called Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus (Mark 3:17; Matthew 10:3) and the brother (or son) of James (Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13). This is the fourth interruption of the talk of Jesus (by Peter, John 13:36; by Thomas, John 14:5; by Philip, John 14:8; by Judas, John 14:22). And not to the world Judas caught at the word εμπανιζω — emphanizō in John 14:21 as perhaps a Messianic theophany visible to all the world as at the judgment (John 5:27.). He seems to suspect a change of plan on the part of Jesus (τι γεγονεν οτι — ti gegonen hoti = how has it happened that). [source]
1 Thessalonians 5:5 Children of light [υἱοὶ φωτός]
More correctly, sons of light. See on Mark 3:17, and comp. Luke 16:8; John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8; Colossians 1:12. The Christian condition is habitually associated in N.T. with light: see Matthew 5:14, Matthew 5:16; John 3:21; John 8:12; Acts 26:18; 1 Peter 2:9; 1 John 1:7. The contrary condition with darkness: see John 3:19, John 3:20; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Peter 2:9; Matthew 4:16; Matthew 6:23, etc. [source]
1 Peter 1:14 Obedient children [τέκνα ὑπακοῆς]
Literally, and more correctly, as Rev., children of obedience. See on Mark 3:17. The Christian is represented as related to the motive principle of his life as a child to a parent. [source]
Revelation 6:1 When the Lamb opened [οτε ηνοιχεν το αρνιον]
First aorist active indicative of ανοιγω — anoigō This same phrase recurs in rhythmical order at the opening of each seal (Revelation 6:1, Revelation 6:3, Revelation 6:5, Revelation 6:7, Revelation 6:9, Revelation 6:12) till the last (Revelation 8:1), where we have οταν ηνοιχεν — hotan ēnoixen Probably used here as an ordinal (the first) as in Matthew 28:1. See Robertson, Grammar, p. 671f.Of This use of εκ — ek with the ablative in the partitive sense is common in the Apocalypse, as twice in this verse So ενος εκ των — henos ek tōn (one of the four living creatures) is “the first of,” etc.In a voice of thunder (εν πωνηι βροντης — en phōnēi brontēs). Old word used of John and James (Mark 3:17) and elsewhere in N.T. only John 12:29 and a dozen times in the Apocalypse.Come Present middle imperative of ερχομαι — erchomai but with exclamatory force (not strictly linear). The command is not addressed to the Lamb nor to John (the correct text omits και ιδε — kai ide “and see”) as in Revelation 17:1; Revelation 21:9, but to one of the four horsemen each time. Swete takes it as a call to Christ because ερχου — erchou is so used in Revelation 22:17, Revelation 22:20, but that is not conclusive. [source]
Revelation 6:1 Of [εκ]
This use of εκ — ek with the ablative in the partitive sense is common in the Apocalypse, as twice in this verse So ενος εκ των — henos ek tōn (one of the four living creatures) is “the first of,” etc.In a voice of thunder (εν πωνηι βροντης — en phōnēi brontēs). Old word used of John and James (Mark 3:17) and elsewhere in N.T. only John 12:29 and a dozen times in the Apocalypse.Come Present middle imperative of ερχομαι — erchomai but with exclamatory force (not strictly linear). The command is not addressed to the Lamb nor to John (the correct text omits και ιδε — kai ide “and see”) as in Revelation 17:1; Revelation 21:9, but to one of the four horsemen each time. Swete takes it as a call to Christ because ερχου — erchou is so used in Revelation 22:17, Revelation 22:20, but that is not conclusive. [source]
Revelation 6:1 In a voice of thunder [εν πωνηι βροντης]
Old word used of John and James (Mark 3:17) and elsewhere in N.T. only John 12:29 and a dozen times in the Apocalypse. [source]

What do the individual words in Mark 3:17 mean?

and James the [son] of Zebedee John the brother - of James He added to them [the] name Boanerges which is Sons of Thunder
καὶ Ἰάκωβον τὸν τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν τοῦ Ἰακώβου ἐπέθηκεν αὐτοῖς ὀνόματα Βοανηργές ἐστιν Υἱοὶ Βροντῆς

Ἰάκωβον  James 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰάκωβος  
Sense: son of Zebedee, an apostle and brother of the apostle John, commonly called James the greater or elder, slain by Herod, Acts 2.
τὸν  the  [son] 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ζεβεδαίου  Zebedee 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Ζεβεδαῖος  
Sense: a fisherman of Galilee, the father of the apostles James the Great and John, and the husband of Salome.
Ἰωάννην  John 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰωάννης 
Sense: John the Baptist was the son of Zacharias and Elisabeth, the forerunner of Christ.
ἀδελφὸν  brother 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
τοῦ  - 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰακώβου  of  James 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰάκωβος  
Sense: son of Zebedee, an apostle and brother of the apostle John, commonly called James the greater or elder, slain by Herod, Acts 2.
ἐπέθηκεν  He  added 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐπιτίθημι  
Sense: in the active voice.
αὐτοῖς  to  them  [the] 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ὀνόματα  name 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ὄνομα  
Sense: name: univ.
Βοανηργές  Boanerges 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: Βοανηργές  
Sense: a nickname given to James and John, the sons of Zebedee, by the Lord.
Υἱοὶ  Sons 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: υἱός  
Sense: a son.
Βροντῆς  of  Thunder 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: βροντή  
Sense: thunder.