Why did John and James get the nickname of Boanerges?

Another answer from our community:

In his Commentary Adam Clarke states:

Mar 3:17 -

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...the ancient Greeks would pronounce Beneregem, and which means sons of thunder, was probably the appellative used by our Lord: beni reges, sons of tempest, which comes nearest to the Boanerges of the evangelist.... 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. It was a very usual thing among the Jews to give surnames, which signified some particular quality or Excellence, to their rabbins. ..

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