Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Sons of thunder: a name given by Christ to two of his disciples, James and John, sons of Zebedee.
  • Hence singular A name sometimes given to a vociferous preacher or orator.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • Any declamatory and vociferous preacher or orator.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A vociferous preacher or orator.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Ancient Greek from Hebrew, "sons of thunder", an appellation given by Christ to two of his disciples (James and John). See Mark iii. 17.

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Examples

  • James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder";

    The Gospels in Four Part Harmony J. Clontz

  • John the brother of James, to whom he gave the name Boanerges or 'Sons of Thunder';

    Catholic Online > Daily Readings 2010

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

    Probably Just One Of Those Funny Coincidences 2006

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

    Villaraigosa And Nunez Cut And Run - Video Report 2006

  • What Elias once did to those of Samaria, the sons of Zebedee had an ambition to imitate in this place; dreaming (as it should seem) that there were those thunders and lightnings in their very name Boanerges, that should break out at pleasure for the death and destruction of those that provoked them.

    From the Talmud and Hebraica 1602-1675 1979

  • But you never find James called Boanerges, or John so called, either by themselves or by others.

    From the Talmud and Hebraica 1602-1675 1979

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

    From the Talmud and Hebraica 1602-1675 1979

  • When the denomination is made from a common name, and not a proper, then it is not so ill sounding to interpret the word: which is done once and again; Mark 3: 17, Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: Acts 4: 36,

    From the Talmud and Hebraica 1602-1675 1979

  • Peter; and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is.

    Jesus of Nazareth, A Biography, by John Mark

  • And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he named them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder.

    The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Complete The Challoner Revision Anonymous

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