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"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
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…