μονο-γενής G3439
Only begotten, one and only, unique; describing the sole child of a parent or the unique relationship of the Son to the Father.
Compounded from monos (only) and genos (kind, offspring), this adjective describes someone who is the sole member of their kind -- an only child or a uniquely begotten one. In the Synoptics, it describes grieving parents' only children: the widow of Nain's only son (Luke 7:12), Jairus's only daughter (Luke 8:42), and a father's only boy (Luke 9:38). In John's writings, it takes on profound theological weight as the defining attribute of Jesus' relationship to the Father (John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9). The Spanish 'unigenito' preserves both components; the French 'unique' emphasizes singularity.
Senses
1. only begotten — The sole offspring of a parent, or more broadly, one who is uniquely begotten and without peer. The Synoptic occurrences describe literal only children in desperate situations: the widow's only son (Luke 7:12), Jairus's only daughter (Luke 8:42), and a father's only epileptic boy (Luke 9:38). John's usage transforms the word theologically: Jesus is the monogenes of the Father, 'full of grace and truth' (John 1:14), the one whom God gave because he 'so loved the world' (John 3:16). Spanish 'unigenito' and German 'eingeboren' both attempt to capture the dual force of uniqueness and begetting that makes this word theologically indispensable. 9×
AR["-وَحِيدٍ", "الوَحيدَ", "الْوَحِيدُ", "وَحيدٌ", "وَحيدَةٌ", "وَحِيدَ", "وَحِيدَهُ", "وَحِيدِ"]·ben["একজাত", "একজাতকে", "একজাতের", "একমাত্র"]·DE["eingeboren", "μονογενής", "μονογενὴς"]·EN["of-only-begotten", "only-begotten"]·FR["unique"]·heb["הַיָּחִיד", "יְחִידָה", "יָחִיד"]·HI["इकलौता", "इकलौती", "एकलौता", "एकलौते", "एकलौते-की", "एकलौते-को,"]·ID["Anak-tunggal", "satu-satunya", "tunggal", "tunggal,", "yang-tunggal,"]·IT["monogenē", "unigenito"]·jav["ontang-anting", "ontang-anting,"]·KO["독생자", "독생자-의", "독생자가", "독생자를", "독생하신", "독자이니"]·PT["de-unigênito", "unigênita", "unigênito", "unigênito,"]·RU["Единородного", "Единородный", "единородного", "единственная", "единственный"]·ES["-unigénito", "de-unigénito", "unigénita", "unigénito"]·SW["Mwana-pekee", "wa-Mwana-pekee", "wa-pekee"]·TR["biricik", "biricik-Tanrı", "biricik-doğanı", "biricik-oğlun", "biriciktir"]·urd["اکلوتا", "اکلوتی", "اکلوتے", "اکلوتے-کا", "اکلوتے-کو", "اکلوتے،", "بیٹا"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G3956 1. all (collective plural) (616×)H3967 1. cardinal numeral hundred (550×)H1419a 1. great, large (general quality) (486×)H7969 1. cardinal number three (431×)H0505 1. cardinal number thousand (427×)H7651 1. seven (cardinal number) (393×)G1520 1. cardinal number one (339×)H6240 1. ten (cardinal number) (334×)H6242 1. twenty (cardinal number) (315×)H2568 1. cardinal number five (309×)H0702 1. four (cardinal number) (277×)G3956 2. every, each (distributive) (227×)H8337 1. six (cardinal number) (215×)G3956 3. all things, everything (substantive) (211×)G3956 4. (187×)H6235 1. ten (177×)G3173 1. great in size or extent (176×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μονο-γενής, ές, Epic dialect and Ionic dialect μουνο-, (γένος) the only member of a kin or kind: hence, generally, only, single, παῖς NT+8th c.BC+; of Hecate, Refs 8th c.BC+ __2 unique, of τὸ ὄν, Refs 5th c.BC+ __3 μ. αἷμα one and the same blood, uncertain reading in Refs 5th c.BC+ __4 Grammars, having one form for all genders, Refs 2nd c.AD+ __5 name of the foot ¯ ¯ ¯ ?~X, Refs 7th c.AD+ __II…