Quick Definition
μονογενής, ές Adj only, only-begotten, unique
Strong's Definition
from 3441 and 1096; only-born, i.e. sole
KJV Usage: only (begotten, child)
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
adjc. | -ές | μονόομαι + γίνομαι
58.52 · Nature, Class, Example · Distinctive, Unique
unique, only pertaining to what is unique in the sense of being the only one of the same kind or class HEB 11:17: Abraham, of course, did have another son, Ishmael, and later sons by Keturah, but Isaac was a unique son in that he was a son born as the result of certain promises made by God. Accordingly, he could be called a μονογενής son, since he was the only one of his kind.
LUK 7:12 · LUK 8:42 · LUK 9:38 · JHN 1:14 · JHN 1:18 · JHN 3:16 · JHN 3:18 · HEB 11:17 · 1JN 4:9
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
μονογενής, -ἐς, (μόνος and γένος), (Cie. unigena; Vulg. [in Lk. unicus, elsewh.] and in ecel. writ. unigenitus), single of its kind, only, (A.V. only-begotten] ; used of only sons or daughters (viewed in relation to their parents), Hes. theog. 426, 448 ; Hdt. 7,221; Plat. Critias 118 d.; Joseph. antt. 1, 13,1; 2, 7, 4; Hovoyeves τέκνον πατρί, Aeschyl. Ag. 898. Soin the Seriptures: Heb. xi. 17; μονογενῆ εἶναί τινι (to be one’s only son or daughter), Judg. xi. 34; Tob. iii. 15; Lk. vii. 12; viii. 42;. ix. 38; [ef. Westcott on Epp. of Jn. p. 162 sqq.]. Hence the expression ὁ povoy. vids τοῦ θεοῦ and vids τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ povoy., Jn. iii. 16, 18; i. 18 [see below]; 1 Jn. iv. 9; μονογενὴς παρὰ πατρός, Jn. i. 14 [some take this generally, owing to the omission of the art. (cf. Green p. 48 sq.)], used of Christ, denotes the only son of God or one who in the sense in which he himself is the son of God has no brethren. He is so spoken of by John not because 6 λόγος which was ἐνσαρκωθείς in him was eternally generated by God the Father (the orthodox interpretation), or came forth from the being of God just before the beginning of the world (Subordinationism), but because by the incarnation (ἐνσάρκωσις) of the λόγος in him he is of nature or essentially Son of God, and so in a very different sense from that in which men are made by him τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ (Jn. i. 13). For since in the writings of John the title ὁ vids rod θεοῦ is given only to the historie Christ so called, neither the Logos alone, nor Jesus alone, but ὁ λόγος ὁ ἐνσαρκωθ εἰς or Jesus through the λόγος united with God, is 6 povoy. υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ. ‘The reading μονογενὴς θεός (without the article before povoy.) in Jn. i. 18, — which is supported by no inconsiderable weight of ancient testimony, received into the text by Tregelles, and Westcott and Hort, defended with much learning by Dr. Hort (“On μονογενὴς θεός in Scripture and Tradition” in his “Two Dissertations’? Camb. and Lond. 1876), and seems not improbable to Harnack (in the Theol. Lit.-Zeit. for 1876, p. 541 sqq.) [and Weiss (in Meyer 6te Aufl. ad loc.) ], but is foreign to John’s mode of thought and speech (iii. 16, 18; 1 Jn. iv. 9), dissonant and harsh, — appears to owe its origin to a dogmatic zeal which broke out soon after the early days of the church ; [see articles on the reading by Prof. Abbot in the Bib. Sacer. for Oct. 1861 and in the Unitarian Rev. for June 1875, (in the latter copious reff. to other discussions of the same passage are given); see also Prof. Drummond in the Theol. Rev. for Oct. 1871]. Further, see Grimm, Exgt. Hdbch. on Sap. p. 152 sq.; [Westcott u. s.].
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
μονογενής monogenēs 9x
only-begotten, only-born, Lk. 7:12; 8:42; 9:38; Heb. 11:17; only-begotten in respect of peculiar generation, unique, Jn. 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 Jn. 4:9*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
μονογενής, -ές
(< μόνος, γένος), [in LXX: Jg 11:34, Ps 21 (22):20 24 (25):16 34 (35):17 (יָחִיד), To 3:15 6:10, 14 8:17, Wi 7:22, Ba 4:16*;]
only, only begotten (DCG, ii, 281), of sons and daughters: Lk 7:12 8:42 9:38, He 11:17; of Christ, Jo 3:16, 18, I Jo 4:9; μ. παρὰ πατρός, Jo 1:14; μ. θεός, Jo 1:18.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
μονογενής is literally ‘one of a kind,”’ ‘‘only,” ‘‘ unique” (ezcxs), not ‘‘only-begotten,”” which would be povoyévyntos (z7:22 66
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
μονογενής (monogenēs) — unique. 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. adverb -νῶς, φέρεται μ. ἐν ἑνὶ τόπῳ grows only in one place, [Refs]
II.2. in a unique manner, [Refs 6th c.AD+]