Passage Explorer
Word study · Greek

monogenēs

only, one of a kind

Say it: mon-og-en-ACE (approximate)

μονογενής

What it means

Literally "one of a kind," and by extension an only child. Luke uses it for the only son of the widow of Nain, Jairus' only daughter, and the only child of a father (Luke 7:12, 8:42, 9:38). John uses it of Jesus as the unique Son (1:14, 1:18, 3:16, 3:18). It may emphasize uniqueness more than birth, which is why some translations read "one and only."

Open question Debated

Whether monogenēs emphasizes "only born" or "one of a kind" is debated, which is why translations differ.

Range of meaning

  • OnlyThe only child.
  • UniqueOne of a kind.

In John

  • Chapter 1

    "The only born of the Father" (1:14, 1:18).

  • Chapter 3

    "His only born Son" (3:16, 3:18).

Every verse (4)

Verses where G3439 is tagged in the Hebrew text: STEPBible Data (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. About our sources