John 3:16

jw · Feb 21, 2006

I missed out on the off topic debate on the other thread, thought I would post my two cents.

"only son" or "unique son" is a better translation than "only begotten son". monogene comes from the root words monos - meaning only, and givomai - meaning to become. It does not come from gevvao - which means to beget.

This is also the meaning BDAG gives for John 3:16

2. pert. to being the only one of its kind or class, unique (in kind) of someth. that is the only example of its category (Cornutus 27 p, 49, 13 ei-j k. monogenh.j o` ko,smoj evsti,. monogenh/ k. mo,na evsti,n=‘unique and alone’; Pla., Timaeus 92c; Theosophien 181, §56, 27). Of a mysterious bird, the Phoenix 1 Cl 25:2.—In the Johannine lit. (s. also ApcEsdr and ApcSed: o` monogenh,j ui`o,j; Hippol., Ref. 8, 10, 3; Did., Gen. 89, 18; u`mnou/me,n ge qeo.n kai. to.n m. auvtou/ Orig., C. Cels. 8, 67, 14; cp. h` du,namij evkei,nh h` m. Hippol., Ref. 10, 16, 6) monogenh.j ui`o,j is used only of Jesus. The renderings only, unique may be quite adequate for all its occurrences here (so M-M., NRSV et al.; DMoody, JBL 72, ’53, 213-19; FGrant, ATR 36, ’54, 284-87; GPendrick, NTS 41, ’95, 587-600). to.n ui`o.n to.n m. e;dwken J 3:16 (Philo Bybl. [100 AD]: 790 fgm. 2 ch. 10, 33 Jac. [in Eus., PE 1, 10, 33]: Cronus offers up his monogenh.j ui`o,j). o` m. ui`o.j tou/ qeou/ vs. 18; to.n ui`o.n to.n m. avpe,stalken o` qeo,j 1J 4:9; cp. Dg 10:2. On the expr. do,xan w`j monogenou/j para. patro,j J 1:14 s. Hdb. ad loc. and PWinter, Zeitschrift für Rel. u. Geistesgeschichte 5, ’53, 335-65 (Engl.). See also Hdb. on vs. 18 where, beside the rdg. monogenh.j qeo,j (considered by many the orig.) an only-begotten one, God (acc. to his real being; i.e. uniquely divine as God’s son and transcending all others alleged to be gods) or a uniquely begotten deity (for the perspective s. J 10:33-36), another rdg. o` monogenh.j ui`o,j is found. MPol 20:2 in the doxology dia. paido.j auvtou/ tou/ monogenou/j VIhsou/ Cristou/. Some (e.g. WBauer, Hdb.; JBulman, Calvin Theological Journal 16, ’81, 56-79; JDahms, NTS 29, ’83, 222-32) prefer to regard m. as somewhat heightened in mng. in J and 1J to only-begotten or begotten of the Only One, in view of the emphasis on genna/sqai evk qeou/ (J 1:13 al.); in this case it would be analogous to prwto,tokoj (Ro 8:29; Col 1:15 al.).—On the mng. of monogenh,j in history of religion s. the material in Hdb.(3 )25f on J 1:14 (also Plut., Mor. 423a Pla,twn … auvtw/| dh, fhsi dokei/n e[na tou/ton [sc. to.n ko,smon] ei=nai monogenh/ tw/| qew/| kai. avgaphto,n; Wsd 7:22 of sofi,aÇ e;sti evn auvth/| pneu/ma noero.n a[gion monogene,j.—Vett. Val. 11, 32) as well as the lit. given there, also HLeisegang, Der Bruder des Erlösers: Aggeloj I 1925, 24-33; RBultmann J (comm., KEK) ’50, 47 n. 2; 55f.—DELG s.v. me,nw. M-M. EDNT. TW. Sv.
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Further, if you look at passages that use this same word..

Hebrews 11:7 "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,"
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Abraham had more than one son, but Isaac was a unique or special son.

This idea is also seen in the LXX in the Psalms..

Psalm 35:17 Lord, how long wilt thou look on? rescue my soul from their destructions, my darling from the lions.
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The word translated "darling" is monogene.

NaasPreacher (C4K) · Feb 21, 2006

See discussion here:

http://www.baptistboard.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php/topic/4/2811.html

John 3:16

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John 3:16

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