Lexical Summary monos: Alone, only, solitary, single Original Word: μόνος Strong's Exhaustive Concordance alone, only, by themselves. Probably from meno; remaining, i.e. Sole or single; by implication, mere -- alone, only, by themselves. see GREEK meno NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. word Definition alone NASB Translation alone (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 pronouns ἐγώ, 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; L Tr brackets WH reject the verse); John 6:22; Hebrews 9:7; 2 Timothy 4:11; with a neg. followed by ἀλλά, Matthew 4:4. ὁ μόνος Θεός, he who alone is God: John 5:44; John 17:3; Romans 16:27; ὁ μόνος δεσπότης, Jude 1:4. οὐκ ... εἰ μή μόνος: Matthew 12:4; Matthew 17:8; Matthew 24:36; Luke 6:4; οὐδείς ... εἰ μή μόνος, Philippians 4:15. equivalent to forsaken, destitute of help, Luke 10:40; John 8:16; John 16:32, (Wis. 10:1). 2. Neuter μόνον as adverb, alone, only, merely: added to the object, Matthew 5:47; Matthew 10:42; Acts 18:25; Galatians 3:2; to the genitive Romans 3:29 (here WH marginal reading μόνων); 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. μόνον μή, Galatians 5:13; οὐ (μή) μόνον, Galatians 4:18; James 1:22; James 2:24; followed by ἀλλά, Acts 19:26 (L ἀλλά καί; cf. Winers Grammar, 498 (464); Buttmann, 370 (317)); by ἀλλά πολλῷ μᾶλλον, Philippians 2:12; by ἀλλά καί, 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, especially Buttmann)); “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. Likewise Galatians 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 in Romans 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. 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. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 4:4 Adj-DMSGRK: ἐπ' ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ὁ NAS: ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY KJV: by bread alone, but by INT: by bread alone will live the Matthew 4:10 Adj-DMS Matthew 12:4 Adj-DMP Matthew 14:23 Adj-NMS Matthew 18:15 Adj-GMS Matthew 24:36 Adj-NMS Mark 4:10 Adj-AFP Mark 6:47 Adj-NMS Mark 9:2 Adj-AMP Luke 4:4 Adj-DMS Luke 4:8 Adj-DMS Luke 5:21 Adj-NMS Luke 6:4 Adj-AMP Luke 9:18 Adj-AFP Luke 9:36 Adj-NMS Luke 10:40 Adj-AFS Luke 24:12 Adj-ANP Luke 24:18 Adj-NMS John 5:44 Adj-GMS John 6:15 Adj-NMS John 6:22 Adj-NMP John 8:9 Adj-NMS John 8:16 Adj-NMS John 8:29 Adj-AMS John 12:24 Adj-NMS Strong's Greek 3441 |
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