Mark 3:17

Verse 17. And he called James, and so forth The words, he called, are no addition, as they only express the literal sense: they are included in what is said, verse 13, that he called to him whom he would.—Boanerges, the sons of thunder, or thunderers, is only to express their great zeal. Witham.—He gave also the two sons of Zebedee the name of Boanerges, (Βοανεργες) from the Syriac, Benairegesch; or the Hebrew, Beni, sons, regesch, thunder, noise or tumult. In conformity to their name, we find these two apostles asking Jesus, (Luke 9:54) wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, to consume them? They spread the fame of the gospel through the whole world. So great was the zeal of Saint James, that he incurred the resentment of king Agrippa, and was the first of the apostles to seal the doctrines of Jesus Christ with his blood. Saint John also fulfilled the import of his name, as appears from his gospel, epistles, apocalypse, and the sufferings he underwent at Rome for the faith. SS. Peter, James, and John, were the only apostles to whom our Saviour gave particular names, a mark, perhaps, of his special affection for them. Tirinus.