BOANERGES (Βοκνηργές). – Nickname given by Jesus to the two apostles, sons of Zebedee: Giacomo and Giovanni, according to Mk. 3:17, where it is explained as « sons of thunder » (ὁ ἄστιν υἱοὶ βροντῆς).
B. is the Hebrew bēnē rēgēs; the root rgs (like rgs) means « to rage » (Ps. 2:1), and is common in Aramaic (Dan. 6:7.12.16); in the time of Jesus it must also have had the sense of « to thunder », like the Arabic raǵasa and raǵaza. E. Kautzsch understands « sons of wrath », that is, « wrathful men » (the Hebrew-Aramaic rgs means « wrath »: Is. 23:11; 32:11;
37:28 f.; Dan. 3:13; etc.). The o of B. is « inexplicable » (Lagrange); the Pēšīṭā omits it (bēnē rēgēs), and a few minuscules (604) have Βανηρῆγες. S. Girolamo (in Dan. 1:7: PL 25, 497): « non ist plerique putant boanerges, sed emendatius legitur benereem (var. benereem) », because in Hebrew « thunder » is rā'am (from rā'am « to rage »). D. Voelter mistakenly understands « sons of the Bear ».
« Sons of thunder », that is, « thundering men » (« to thunder » is said of God: I Sam. 2:10), could be understood as referring to fervent eloquence (Origene, M. Chladen, F. Zorell is uncertain); it is usually seen as an allusion to the impetuous character of the two brothers, who (like Elia: II Reg. 1:10-14) wanted to bring down « the fire of heaven » upon the inhospitable Samaritans (Lc. 9:54; cf. 9:49 and Mc. 9:38). The Fathers see in it an allusion to the preaching of Giovanni, called by Origene « intellectual thunder » (νοητὴ βροντὴ: Philoc. 15, 18: PG 14, 1313; cf. C. Cels. VI, 77: PG 11, 1416).
The Freer codex (W), together with various witnesses of the Vetus latina (ec, 8q), applies the nickname B. to all the apostles: Κοινῶς δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐκλέεσεν Βοκνηργέ; lat.: communiter autem vocavit eos B. Originally communiter must have referred only to Giacomo and Giovanni; then their names were displaced, and the nickname B. appeared to apply to the twelve. In a fourth-century sermon attributed to s. Basilio all the Apostles are said to be υἱοὶ βροντῆς ὀνομασθέντες (PG 30, 813); and likewise by the Ps.-Atanasio (PG 28, 1248). E. Preuschen, M. Fischer, and partly G. Bardy uphold this isolated tradition, which F. Zorell considers not improbable.