Name Or Names Translation Or Paraphrase
Most translations will tell the reader that Jesus gave the sons of Zebedee the name Boanerges, which means Sons Of Thunder. And yes, the synthetic version of the Gospel of Mark published by Westcott and Hort indeed uses the word , the accusative singular of the noun that means name. But the Textus Receptus , Tischendorf and the Byzantine Majority Text use the plural meaning names. In other words: Jesus didn’t give them the name Boanerges that is Sons of Thunder, but he rather gave them the names Boanerges and the similar Sons of Thunder.
The Greek phrasing that ties the two monikers together is , which translates into English “that is to say” rather than “that translates as”. This phrase is used to reflect a far-less-than-perfect symmetry:
The only time that literally translates something occurs in Hebrews 7:2, which reads: “…king of Salem, which is king of peace”. And that means that it’s nearly certain that Boanerges and Sons Of Thunder are not one and the same name in different languages, but rather two distinct names that loosely paraphrase each other.
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The reason the author chose to mention the Nephilim can be found in their description, which translated means something to the effect of ancient champions who made a name for themselves. Every society has myths and legends about gods having children with humans who become epic heroes and legendary kings. Many of us in the West are familiar with the exploits of Hercules, Achilles, and Perseus, and the Classical versions of their tales have been told and retold for well over two thousand years. However, many famous Classical stories are merely reimagined from earlier Near Eastern ones. There was a vast corpus of heroic literature available from Babylon to Egypt, including such tales as the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the ancient Israelites would have likely known these stories.
Were they trying to create their own legends to cement themselves in history alongside the Nephilim? We can only speculate. What we do know is that it isnt the son of a god or goddess that steps onto the biblical stage soon after the folly of Babel, but a childless man with no strength or glory to speak of. His gift is not the power given by his divine lineage, but a promise of a future for his descendants. And it is God, not the man, who gives him a new name that will be remembered throughout the generationsAbraham.
What Is The Meaning Of Psalm 42 7
The word deep in Psalm 42:7 includes in its meaning great. All of God The Great I Am, lives in all of those who have received Jesus Christ and He has great things in mind for you as you respond to the deeper things of His Kingdom.
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What Is Psalms 41 Talking About
A psalm of David. Blessed is he who has regard for the weak the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. The LORD will protect him and preserve his life he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes. The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.
Who Were Korah Dathan And Abiram
Dathan, together with his brother Abiram, were among the quarrelsome and seditious personages in Egypt and in the wilderness who sought, on every occasion, to place difficulties in the way of Moses. Being identified with the two Israelites at strife who were the cause of Moses flight from Egypt (Ex. ii.
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James And John To The Sons Of Thunder
Pastor Josh Combs
James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James . Mark 3:17
Like children fixated on the petty and unimportant, James and John among the other disciples often served as discouraging distractions to the Lord. Whereas the eyes of the Lord were fixed on Calvarys cross, these ambitious followers of Jesus were angry at a perceived slight by the Samaritans. Racial and cultural tensions between Jews and Samaritans were too great to be ignored or escaped. In the several interactions Jesus had with the Samaritans recorded in Scripture, or the parable He told that we know as The Good Samaritan, Jesus encounters, addresses, and at times corrects this racial strife. Jews hated Samaritans and Samaritans returned the sentiment.
When Jesus and the disciples found no hospitality or warm welcome, the disciples were incensed. They felt personally insulted and provoked to come to the defense of Jesus. He was their miracle-working Master, who had healed and ministered to Samaritans. But now all the guest rooms were supposedly full, schedules packed, and no food available. So rather than moving past the town and traveling further, two angry siblings have a plan. These men were raised in the cutthroat world of the Galilean fishing industry. They knew retribution, retaliation, and how to send a message.
James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James . Mark 3:17
Todays Bible Reading: Luke 9:49-56 Mark 3:17 Matthew 20:20-24 Mark 3:17
James And John The Sons Of Thunder
And he appointed twelve … James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder.
The Evangelist Saint Mark tells us:
And he went up into the hills, and called to him those whom he desired and they came to him. And he appointed twelve,[ to be with him, and to be sent out to preach and have authority to cast out demons: Simon whom he surnamed Peter James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
In many ways, this passage of Saint Marks Gospel is a very familiar story. Indeed, it can seem like a simple roll call of the names of the Apostles, listing them out, including the son of perdition, Judas. Yet, in this listing of names, we find other sons, these ones not of perdition, but of thunder. The sons of thunder, Boanerges. James and John are affectionately nicknamed the Sons of Thunder by the Lord. It shows the true, almost playful affection that Our Lord had for these two Apostles, calling them by a sarcastic nickname.
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James & John Sharing In His Suffering
How does Christ reply? You will indeed drink my cup and be baptized with my baptism. He is really prophesying a great blessing for them, since he is telling them: You will be found worthy of martyrdom you will suffer what I suffer and end your life with a violent death, thus sharing all with me. But seats at my right and left are not mine to give they belong to those for whom the Father has prepared them. Thus, after lifting their minds to higher goals and preparing them to meet and overcome all that will make them desolate, he sets them straight on their request.
What Were They Known For / What Did They Do
Most of what we know about James and John comes from the gospels, where they often appear in tandem. However, there are a few instances where James and John are mentioned individually and for John, his story continued well beyond the events recorded in the gospels. As mentioned, James would become the first of the twelve disciples to be martyred for his faith, fourteen years after Christ ascended into heaven . In fact, he is the only one of Christs disciples whose death is recorded in Scripture and this is the only time James is mentioned separate from his brother John. James was likely beheaded by Herod Agrippa I in Jerusalem fourteen years later.
Passionate, outspoken, and unwavering to the end, James allowed Christ to transform His fervor into a passion for the gospel. For his faithfulness, he was the first to reunite with Christ in eternity.
John, on the other hand, would outlive the rest of the apostles and be the last of the Twelve to die. In his own gospel, John describes himself as the disciple, whom Jesus loved. . Not coincidentally, John was also one of the only disciples to witness the full crucifixion of Jesus as he was there at the foot of the cross. There, as Jesus breathed His last, he gave John the responsibility of caring for His mother . It says a lot about Jesus love for John to entrust the care of His own mother to John and not one His half-brothers or other disciples.
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Why Did Jesus Call Sts James And John The Sons Of Thunder
AndJames the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James and named themBoanerges, which is, The sons of thunderBoanergesThefiery style of the sons of ZebedeeAndJohn, answering, said: Master, we saw a certain man casting out devils in yourname: and we forbade him, because he follows not with us. And Jesus said tohim: Forbid him not: for he that is not against you is for you.And hesent messengers before his face: and going, they entered into a city of the Samaritans,to prepare for him. And they received him not, because his face was of onegoing to Jerusalem. And when his disciples, James and John, had seen this, theysaid: Lord, will you that we command fire to come down from heaven and consumethem? And turning, he rebuked them, saying: you know not of what spirit youare. The Son of man came not to destroy souls, but to save. And they went intoanother town.Thencame to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, adoring and askingsomething of him. Who said to her: What will you? She said to him: say thatthese my two sons may sit, the one on your right hand, and the other on yourleft, in your kingdom. And Jesus answering, said: You know not what you ask.Can you drink the chalice that I shall drink? They say to him: We can. He saysto them: My chalice indeed you shall drink but to sit on my right or left handis not mine to give to you, but to them for whom it is prepared by my Father.Themartyrdom of St. James the GreaterTheexcellence of these two brothers
They Were Called Sons Of Thunder
DURING stormy weather, you may hear loud thunder. Has it ever scared you? * Well, Jesus calls two of his followers Sons of Thunder. Lets figure out why he does.
These two followers of Jesus are James and John. They are brothers, sons of Zebedee and his wife, Salome. Salome is probably a sister of Jesus mother, Mary. So Jesus, James, and John may be cousins and may have been good friends as they grew up.
Zebedee is a fisherman, and James and John are too. The two are among the first ones Jesus chooses to be his followers. When he invites them, right away they leave their fishing business and follow him. Later Jesus picks 12 of his followers to be his apostles. James and John are two of these.
A few months before Jesus is killed, he and his apostles are going through the mountain territory of Samaria. It is getting late, and they are all very tired. But the Samaritans say they dont want Jesus and his apostles to stay overnight with them in their city. Do you know why? Lets see.
Jesus and his apostles are Jews, and most Jews are mean to Samaritans. Of course, Jesus never is. He treats them kindly, as James and John should too. But the two disciples become angry with the Samaritans who didnt welcome them, and they ask Jesus: Do you want us to tell fire to come down and kill them? What do you think Jesus says? He tells them that they are wrong to say such a bad thing! James and John need to learn more about mercy.
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James And John Are Known As Sons Of Thunder
The Sons of Thunder sounds like a rock band, a movie or a motorcycle club. Actually the name has been used for all three. But Catholics might also know this term as the biblical reference for two of Jesus most beloved apostles: James the Greater, the son of Zebedee, and his brother, John.
He named 12 as his companions whom he would send to preach the good news. They were likewise to have authority to expel demons. He appointed the 12 as follows: Simon, to whom he gave the name, Peter James, son of Zebedee, and John, the brother of James Andrew Philip Bartholomew Matthew Thomas James, son of Alphaeus Thaddaeus Simon of the Zealot party and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Mark 3: 14-19.
Fishermen on the Sea of Galilee, James and John often worked at night. The Galilean race was considered religious, hardy and industrious with a vehemence of character.
Several stories in the Bible show a temper and fire in the two brothers that may have contributed to their nickname. When the Samaritans did not welcome Jesus when he was en route to Jerusalem, James and John asked Jesus, Do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them? Luke 9: 54-55.
James and John were also the apostles whose mother asked if her sons could sit at the right and left of Jesus, a request that showed their passion, but also a lack of understanding of their mission.
The Nephilim And The Sons Of God
Unlike Hercules, Achilles, and Perseus, demigods were seen more negatively by ancient Israelites
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Divine love bringing an end to an illicit trust between Cupid and the Devil. An artistic representation of love being corrupted and God bringing it to an end.
Sandwiched between the genealogies of Adams descendants and the tale of Noahs flood are a few enigmatic verses that leave many of us scratching our heads and wondering what its all about:
When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years. The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.
More often than not its just easier to shrug our shoulders and move on to the story of Noah and his family. But the questions remain all the same: Who are these sons of God and their Nephilim children, and why would the author of Genesis choose to mention them at all?
In the text we discover that the sons of God succumbed to their passions for the daughters of Men and had children with them. These offspring were known as the Nephilim , and they were the mighty ones of old and men of renown.
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Mom To The Sons Of Thunder
May 9, 2011 by ScriptureDig
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As the mother of two boys, I can relate to the woman we meet in Matthew 20. She is the mother of James and John, two of Jesus closest disciples. This woman, called the wife of Zebedee, may have been Salome, a devoted follower of Jesus . She wanted the best for her two boys. She must have been proud they were Jesus disciples. And she may have heard Jesus teaching in Matthew 19:28, So Jesus said to , Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Even if she didnt hear it personally, it seems as if James and John told her about this promise.
This mother approached Jesus with a request. Matthew 20:21 says, And He said to her, What do you wish? She said to Him, Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.
Simon The Rock And The Sons Of Thunder
How good are you at keeping a secret? As Peter, James and John came down the mountain with Jesus after witnessing his transfiguration in this Sundays Gospel, Jesus charged them, Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.
Given what the Gospels say about these three Galilean fisherfolk, I have my doubts. Consider Simon Peter. Six days earlier, he was the one who by divine revelation correctly identified Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Yet when Jesus explained that the Messiah was to suffer death, the rock wouldnt hear of it. He insisted God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you, words that earned him a stern rebuke. It was this rock who denied his Lord three times, just as Jesus predicted, despite Peters protests to the contrary.
As for James and John, Mark 3:17 tells us that Jesus dubbed them Sons of Thunder, a moniker that says something probably unflattering about the temperament of these sons of Zebedee.
As Matthews Gospel continues, we learn how this pair lived up to their nickname. Just before Jesus entered Jerusalem, they approached Jesus together with their mother, who audaciously asked on their behalf, Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom. To this Jesus replied, You do not know what you are asking!
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