monos · only, alone

What it means

monos (μόνος) is a Greek word of the Bible that means “only, alone”.

Alone, only.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. With no one else.
2. Nothing beyond that: bread is not enough to live.

From Abbott-Smith (1922) · Thayer (1889)

Word study

Alone, only: one who is without others, or what is the only one of its kind; as an adverb, “only”. Of the same family is μονογενής, “only”.

• “A person will not live on bread alone” Matthew 4:4
• “Him alone you shall serve” Matthew 4:10
• Being alone: Jesus on the mountain Matthew 14:23
• “The only true God” John 17:31 Timothy 1:17John 5:44
• “Not by faith alone” James 2:24

How we translate it

“Only” 74 times, “alone” 36. “Only” when it describes God or a person (“the only true God”, John 17:3); “alone” when it is being apart (Mark 4:10) or excluding something else (“on bread alone”).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• only ×74
• alone ×36

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Matthew×13
• Mark×6
• Luke×10
• John×14
• Acts×8
• Romans×13
• 1 Corinthians×4
• 2 Corinthians×5
• Galatians×7
• Ephesians×1
• Philippians×4
• Colossians×1
• 1 Thessalonians×4
• 2 Thessalonians×1
• 1 Timothy×4
• 2 Timothy×3
• Hebrews×3
• James×2
• 1 Peter×1
• 1 John×2
• 2 John×1
• Jude×2
• Revelation×1

• Matthew 4:4

  But he answered and said, “It is written, ‘A person will not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out through the mouth of God.’”

• Matthew 4:10

  Then Jesus says to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall bow down before the Lord your God, and him alone you shall serve.’”

• Matthew 5:47

  And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

• Matthew 8:8

  And the centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say a word, and my servant will be healed.

• Matthew 9:21

  for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will get well.”

• Matthew 12:4

  how he entered into the house of God and they ate the bread of the presentation, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those with him, except for the priests alone?

• Matthew 14:23

  And after sending the crowds away, he went up onto the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.

• Matthew 14:36

  and they were begging him that they might only touch the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were made well.

• Matthew 17:8

  And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.

• Matthew 18:15

  And if your brother sins against you, go, reprove him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

• Matthew 21:19

  And seeing a single fig tree by the road, he went to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and he says to it, “May no more fruit come from you, forever.” And the fig tree withered immediately.

• Matthew 21:21

  And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.

• Matthew 24:36

  But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, except the Father alone.

• Mark 4:10

  And when he was alone, those around him with the Twelve were asking him about the parables.

• Mark 5:36

  But Jesus, ignoring the word being spoken, says to the synagogue leader, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”

• Mark 6:8

  And he instructed them that they should take nothing for the journey except a staff only; no bread, no bag, no copper coins in their belts,

• Mark 6:47

  And when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and he was alone on the land.

• Mark 9:2

  And after six days Jesus takes along Peter and James and John, and leads them up onto a high mountain by themselves alone. And he was transfigured before them,

• Mark 9:8

  And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.

• Luke 4:4

  And Jesus answered him, “It is written: A human being will not live on bread alone.”

• Luke 4:8

  And answering, Jesus said to him, “It is written: Before the Lord your God you will bow down, and him alone you will serve.”

• Luke 5:21

  And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

• Luke 6:4

  how he entered into the house of God and, taking the bread of the presentation, ate and gave it to those with him, which it is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?”

• Luke 8:50

  But Jesus, hearing this, answered him, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.”

• Luke 9:18

  And it happened while he was praying alone, that the disciples were with him, and he asked them, saying, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

• Luke 9:36

  And when the voice had come, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

• Luke 10:40

  But Martha was distracted with much serving; and coming up, she said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”

• Luke 24:12

  But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; and stooping to look in, he sees the linen cloths alone; and he went away to his home, marveling at what had happened.

• Luke 24:18

  And one of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to him, “Are you the only one staying as a visitor in Jerusalem and you do not know the things that have happened in it in these days?”

• John 5:18

  For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God.

• John 5:44

  How can you believe, receiving glory from one another and not seeking the glory that comes from the only God?

• John 6:15

  So Jesus, knowing that they were about to come and seize him to make him king, withdrew again to the mountain by himself alone.

• John 6:22

  The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been no other boat there except one, and that Jesus had not gone in with his disciples into the boat, but his disciples had gone away alone.

• John 8:16

  And even if I do judge, my judgment is true, because I am not alone, but it is I and the Father who sent me.

• John 8:29

  And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to him.”

• John 11:52

  and not for the nation only, but so that he might also gather into one the children of God who are scattered.

• John 12:9

  So a large crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, and they came, not because of Jesus only, but so that they might also see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.

• John 12:24

  Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.

• John 13:9

  Simon Peter says to him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

• John 16:32

  Look, an hour is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

And 70 more times.