μόνος G3441
Alone, by oneself; only, unique, sole; merely, exclusively (restrictive)
Monos carries three distinct registers in the New Testament. Most often it means 'alone' -- Jesus went up the mountain 'alone' to pray (Matt 14:23), and 'no one knows except the Father alone' (Matt 24:36). In theological contexts it intensifies to 'only' or 'sole,' as in 'the only true God' (John 17:3) and 'the only Sovereign' (1 Tim 6:15), where German einzigen and Spanish unico mark its uniqueness force. As a restrictive particle, it limits scope: the bread of the Presence was lawful for priests 'only' (Matt 12:4). The root idea of singularity unifies all three uses.
Senses
1. alone, by oneself — The most common sense: alone, by oneself, solitary, without others present or assisting. Jesus withdraws 'alone' to pray (Matt 14:23), teaches that humans do not live by bread 'alone' (Matt 4:4), and declares that no one knows the day 'except the Father alone' (Matt 24:36). Spanish solo and German allein consistently render this solitary sense across all traditions. 32×
AR["فَقَطْ","وَحدي","وَحدَهُ","وَحْدَكَ","وَحْدَكُمَا","وَحْدَهَا","وَحْدَهُ","وَحْدِي"]·ben["একমাত্র","একা","একা,","একাই","কেবল","শুধু"]·DE["allein"]·EN["alone","only"]·FR["seul"]·heb["לְבַד","לְבַדְּךָ","לְבַדִּי","לְבַדָּם","לְבַדּוֹ"]·HI["अकेल","अकेला","अकेला।","अकेले","केवल","वह"]·ID["saja","satu-satunya","sendiri","sendirian"]·IT["solo"]·jav["kemawon","namung","piyambak","piyambak,","piyambak.","piyambakan","piyambakan,"]·KO["만","오직","혼자","홀로","홍로"]·PT["sozinho,","só"]·RU["и-","один","одинок,","одни","одним","одно","одного","одном","одному"]·ES["solo","solos"]·SW["kama-vile","peke-yake","peke-yako","peke-yangu","peke-yangu,"]·TR["tek","tek-başına","yalnız","yalnız."]·urd["اکیلا","اکیلے","صرف","صِرف"]
Matt 4:4, Matt 4:10, Matt 14:23, Matt 18:15, Matt 24:36, Mark 4:10, Mark 6:47, Mark 9:2, Luke 4:4, Luke 4:8, Luke 5:21, Luke 9:18 (+20 more)
2. only, unique, sole — A theologically weighty sense: the only one, sole, unique. Applied to God as 'the only true God' (John 17:3), 'the only wise God' (Rom 16:27), and 'the only Sovereign' (1 Tim 6:15). German einzigen and Spanish unico distinguish this from mere solitude -- it asserts ontological uniqueness. This sense undergirds key doxological and creedal statements in the epistles. 8×
amh["ለብቸኛው","ብቸኛውን"]·AR["-الوحيد","الوحيد","الوَحيدُ","الوَحيدِ","لِلْوَحِيدِ","وَحِيدِ","وَحْدَ"]·ben["একমাত্র"]·ces["jediného","jedinému"]·dan["alene","eneste"]·DE["allein","dem-alleinigen","einzigen"]·ell["μόνον","μόνω"]·EN["only","to-only"]·FR["seul"]·guj["એકમાત્ર"]·hat["sèl"]·hau["kaɗai","shi-kaɗai"]·heb["היחיד","יָחִיד","לְ-יָחִיד","לְבַד","ליחיד"]·HI["अकेले","एक-मअत्र","एकमात्र"]·hun["egyedül","egyetlen"]·ID["satu-satunya"]·IT["al-solo","solo"]·jav["namung","satunggalipun"]·JA["唯一-の"]·KO["유일하시고","유일하신","유일한","홀로"]·mar["एकमेव"]·mya["တစ်ဦးတည်းသော"]·nld["alleen","enige"]·nor["eneste"]·pnb["اِکلے"]·pol["jedynego","jedynemu"]·PT["ao-único","único"]·ron["singurul","singurului"]·RU["единого","единому","единый"]·ES["al-único","único"]·SW["kwa-peke-yake","peke-yake","pekee"]·swe["ende"]·tam["ஒரே"]·tel["ఏకైక"]·tgl["tanging"]·TH["เท่านั้น"]·TR["tek"]·ukr["єдиного","єдиному"]·urd["اکیلا","اکیلے","واحد"]·VI["duy-nhất"]·yor["ọ̀kan-ṣoṣo"]·yue["獨一-嘅"]·ZH["独一的"]
3. only, merely, exclusively — A restrictive or exclusive adverbial force: only, merely, nothing more than. The showbread was lawful 'only' for priests (Matt 12:4; Luke 6:4); Paul asks whether he and Barnabas 'only' lack the right not to work (1 Cor 9:6). Here monos functions as a scope limiter rather than describing physical solitude. Spanish solo and French seul serve double duty for both this and the first sense. 7×
AR["فَقَط","فَقَطْ","وَحدَكُم","وَحدَهُم"]·ben["একমাত্র","একা","কেবল","কেবল,","শুধু"]·DE["allein"]·EN["only"]·FR["seul"]·heb["בִּלְבַד","בִּלְבַד,","לְ-בַדְּכֶם","לְבַד","לְבַדִּי","לְבַדָּם"]·HI["अकेला,","केवल","केवल,"]·ID["hanya","saja","saja,","sendirian"]·IT["solo"]·jav["namung","namung,","piyambak","piyambak?"]·KO["오직","오직,","홀로","홀로에게"]·PT["somente","somente,"]·RU["один","одним","только"]·ES["solo","solos","solos?"]·SW["mimi-peke-yangu","peke-yangu","peke-yao","peke-yao?","peke-yenu","tu"]·TR["değilse","sadece","yalniz","yalnız,","yalnızca"]·urd["صرف","صرف،","ہی"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μόνος, η, ον, Epic dialect and Ionic dialect μοῦνος, the only form used by Refs 8th c.BC+ both in iambic and Lyric poetry, by Refs 5th c.BC+: Doric dialect μῶνος Refs 3rd c.BC+:— alone, solitary, μοῦνος ἐὼν πολέσιν μετὰ Καδμείοισιν Refs 8th c.BC+; φυγὴ μόνου πρὸς μόνον Refs 3rd c.AD+ __2 with genitive, σοῦ μόνος bereft of thee, without thee, Refs 5th c.BC+ __II only, μοῦνον Λαέρτην Ἀρκείσιος υἱὸν…