Jesus is presented as “begotten” in John 3:16, the golden text of the Bi-ble, according to many translations. However, the Greek term monogenēs (combination of two words monos [one] plus genos [kind]) means “one of a kind.” Thus, the proper rendering of this word is “unique.” Jesus Christ is without a parallel. In the whole universe there is no one else like Him.
The term monogenēs is used nine times in the New Testament, and out of these occurrences it is applied to Jesus five times in John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; and 1 John 4:9. Four times the word points to a special and only child in a family—a unique child. Thus, Luke 7:12 depicts the widow’s only son in Nain, Luke 8:42 talks about Jairus’ only daughter, Luke 9:38 refers to the only son with an evil spirit, and Hebrews 11:17 describes Abraham’s son Isaac as “his one and only son.” He was unique because he was the son of a promise.
Various translators render the Greek texts with this word slightly differently but consistently. A good example is a comparison of NKJV and NIV translations (emphasis supplied):
• John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (NKJV). “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (NIV).
• John 1:18: “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (NKJV). “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known” (NIV).
• John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (NKJV). “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV).
• John 3:18: “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (NKJV). “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (NIV).
• First John 4:9: “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (NKJV). “This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him” (NIV).
The proper term for “begotten” is gegennēka (from gennaō to “beget;” see explanation of Heb 1:5 in the present study). To use the term “begotten” for Jesus would connote false ideas that Jesus Christ had an origin in time that He was born, that there was a time in past eternity when He was not, and that at one point in time the Father begot Him. However, the word monogenēs points to His unique nature (He is the incarnated God) and role as the Son of God to redeem lost humanity from the rulership of Satan.
The term monogenēs in the LXX is a translation of a Hebrew word which in other places is translated “beloved” (agapētos; Mark 1:11; cf. Gen 22:2). The two words may sometimes be close in meaning (John 3:16, 18). Isaac was Abraham’s monogenēs son (Heb 11:17). He was not the only son, but he was very special. He was the unique son because he was the son of God’s promise. There is no emphasis on birth or connection to biological uniqueness. The Old Testament equivalent word for monogenēs is yakhid, meaning “beloved” (Gen 22:2). Isaac was loved by Abraham; he was his very beloved son. Jephthah’s daughter was his yakhidah (Hebrew feminine term) and monogenēs (Greek word) daughter (Judg 11:34)—that is, his only daughter whom he promised to sacrifice (Judg 11:31).
When one applies the term monogenēs to Jesus, the meaning becomes clear. He is the Unique One, nobody else is like Him in person and in accomplishments of the plan of salvation (Isa 49:5–6; 52:13–53:12). He is one of His kind! No one else can be compared to Him because He is fully man and fully God in one person and will remain so for all eternity (Col 2:9; 1 Tim 2:5; Rev 1:13). He is also one with and equal to the Eternal God (John 10:30; Phil 2:6).