Lexical Summary
monos: Alone, only, solitary, single
Original Word:μόνος
Part of Speech:Adjective
Transliteration:monos
Pronunciation:MO-nos
Phonetic Spelling:(mon'-os)
KJV: alone, only, by themselves
NASB:alone, only, just, merely, even, mere, only one
Word Origin:[probably fromG3306 (μένω - abides)]
1. remaining, i.e. sole or single
2. (by implication) mere
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
alone, only, by themselves.
Probably frommeno; remaining, i.e. Sole or single; by implication, mere -- alone, only, by themselves.
see GREEKmeno
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. word
Definitionalone
NASB Translationalone (31), even (1), just (2), mere (1), merely (2), only (18), only one (1), only thing (1), private (1), themselves* (1).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3441: μόνοςμόνος,
μόνη,
μόνον, the
Sept. chiefly for
לְבַד (from
Homer down);
1. an adjective,alone (without a companion);
a. with verbs:εἶναι,ἑυρίσκεσθαι,καταλείπεσθαι, etc.,Matthew 14:23;Mark 6:47;Luke 9:36;John 8:9;1 Thessalonians 3:1; added to the pronounsἐγώ,αὐτός,οὐ, etc.:Matthew 18:15;Mark 9:2;Luke 24:18;Romans 11:3;Romans 16:4, etc.
b. it is joined with its noun to other verbs also, so that what is predicated may be declared to apply to some one person alone (cf.Winer's Grammar, 131 (124) note):Matthew 4:10;Luke 4:8;Luke 24:12 (T omits;LTr bracketsWH reject the verse);John 6:22;Hebrews 9:7;2 Timothy 4:11; with a neg. followed byἀλλά,Matthew 4:4.ὁμόνοςΘεός, he who alone is God:John 5:44;John 17:3;Romans 16:27;ὁμόνοςδεσπότης,Jude 1:4.οὐκ ...εἰμήμόνος:Matthew 12:4;Matthew 17:8;Matthew 24:36;Luke 6:4;οὐδείς ...εἰμήμόνος,Philippians 4:15. equivalent toforsaken, destitute of help,Luke 10:40;John 8:16;John 16:32, (Wis. 10:1).
2. Neuterμόνον as adverb,alone, only, merely: added to the object,Matthew 5:47;Matthew 10:42;Acts 18:25;Galatians 3:2; to the genitiveRomans 3:29 (hereWH marginal readingμόνων); referring to an action expressed by a verb,Matthew 9:21;Matthew 14:36;Mark 5:36;Luke 8:50;Acts 8:16;1 Corinthians 15:19;Galatians 1:23;Galatians 2:10.μόνονμή,Galatians 5:13;οὐ (μή)μόνον,Galatians 4:18;James 1:22;James 2:24; followed byἀλλά,Acts 19:26 (Lἀλλάκαί; cf.Winers Grammar, 498 (464);Buttmann, 370 (317)); byἀλλάπολλῷμᾶλλον,Philippians 2:12; byἀλλάκαί,Matthew 21:21;John 5:18;John 11:52;John 12:9;John 13:9;John 17:20;Acts 19:26 (Lachmann (see as above, especiallyButtmann));;Romans 1:32;Romans 4:12, 16, 23;2 Corinthians 7:7, etc.;οὐμόνονδέἀλλάκαί:Acts 19:27; and often by Paul (cf.Winer's Grammar, 583 (543)),Romans 5:3, 11;Romans 8:23;Romans 9:10;2 Corinthians 7:7;2 Corinthians 8:19;Philippians 2:27 (hereοὐδέμόνον etc.);1 Timothy 5:13; (2 Timothy 4:8.κατάμόνας (namely,χώρας), seeκαταμόνας).
Topical Lexicon
Divine Uniqueness and Exclusive Worship“Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only” (Matthew 4:10; cf.Luke 4:8). The New Testament repeatedly uses the term to underline God’s unrivaled status in creation and redemption. He is “the only wise God” (Romans 16:27) and “the only God our Savior” (Jude 25). In an environment saturated with polytheism, the early church’s doxologies insisted that glory, honor, and dominion belong exclusively to Him. Pastors and teachers draw from these texts to guard the flock against syncretism and to foster pure worship.
Christ’s Solitary Communion with the Father
Jesus frequently withdrew “by Himself to pray” (Matthew 14:23; cf.Mark 6:47;Luke 9:18). These moments stress both His genuine humanity—which required rest and reflection—and His unwavering filial dependence on the Father. They invite believers to carve out undistracted time with God, modeling ministry that flows from private fellowship rather than public acclaim.
The Solitary High Priest on the Day of Atonement
Hebrews recalls that “only the high priest entered the second room once a year” (Hebrews 9:7). This exclusivity foreshadowed the singular mediatorial work of Christ. The typology elevates the sufficiency of His once-for-all sacrifice and equips ministers to proclaim a gospel that requires no supplemental mediators.
Monotheism Affirmed in Apostolic Doxologies
“If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?” So Paul clarifies that praise must be directed to “the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality” (1 Timothy 6:15-16). These statements armed early believers against emperor worship and continue to strengthen the church’s confession in pluralistic cultures.
Loneliness and the Faithful Presence of God
“You will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with Me” (John 16:32). Even when deserted, Jesus affirms divine companionship. Believers who face relational loss (2 Timothy 4:11;Philippians 2:27) find comfort in the same assurance. Biblical counseling applies these texts to help saints interpret solitude through the lens of God’s abiding presence.
The Grain of Wheat: Solitary Death, Abundant Harvest
“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:24). Here the word frames both the cross and the missionary pattern of self-sacrifice that multiplies life. Church planters and missionaries cite this verse as motivation to embrace obscurity for the sake of gospel advance.
Communal Responsibility Beyond “Only”
Monos can restrict (“only”) in order to expand (“not only”). “You alone shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving” (Philippians 4:15) commends unique partnership yet calls others to join. LikewiseGalatians 6:4 warns each believer to examine personal work rather than compare with others, highlighting individual accountability within corporate life.
Apostolic Isolation and Perseverance
Elijah cried, “I alone am left” (quoted inRomans 11:3), yet God reserved a remnant. Paul experienced something similar: “Only Luke is with me” (2 Timothy 4:11). These moments encourage ministers who labor in hard places. The narrative shows that apparent isolation never nullifies divine purpose.
Implications for Worship and Pastoral Practice
1. Guard the pulpit: preach the exclusivity of the Triune God and the sufficiency of Christ.
2. Cultivate secret prayer: leadership credibility flows from solitary communion with God.
3. Counsel the lonely: assure them that “the Father is with you” even when human companions are absent.
4. Inspire mission: one life laid down can spark a harvest flourishing beyond the solitary seed.
The thread running through every occurrence of Strong’s 3441 is clear: God alone is worthy, Christ alone saves, and in Him the believer is never truly alone.
Forms and Transliterations
μονα μόνα μονας μόνας μόνη μονην μόνην μονοι μόνοι μονοις μόνοις μονον μόνον μονος μόνος μονοτρόπους μονου μόνου μονους μόνους μονω μόνω μόνῳ μονωτάτη μονώτατοι μονώτατον μονώτατος mona móna monas mónas monen monēn mónen mónēn mono monō monoi mónoi mónōi monois mónois monon mónon monos mónos monou mónou monous mónousLinks
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