“I, Myself, Alone Created”
June 1, 2016Proof for the singular reading of John 1.13
August 16, 2016Monos Theos
According to the ordinary rules of language whenever monos (“alone”, “only”) is used with theos (“God”) or kurios (“LORD”, YHWH), it cannot mean more than 1 person.
Old Testament
NAU Deuteronomy 32:12 “The LORD alone guided him, And there was no foreign god with him.
LXT Deuteronomy 32:12 κύριος μόνος ἦγεν αὐτούς καὶ οὐκ ἦν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν θεὸς ἀλλότριος
NAU 2 Kings 19:15 Hezekiah prayed before the LORD and said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
LXT 2 Kings 19:15 καὶ εἶπεν κύριε ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῶν χερουβιν σὺ εἶ ὁ θεὸς μόνος ἐν πάσαις ταῖς βασιλείαις τῆς γῆς σὺ ἐποίησας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν
NAU 2 Kings 19:19 “Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God.”
LXT 2 Kings 19:19 καὶ νῦν κύριε ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν σῶσον ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ γνώσονται πᾶσαι αἱ βασιλεῖαι τῆς γῆς ὅτι σὺ κύριος ὁ θεὸς μόνος
NAU Psalm 72:18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who alone works wonders.
LXT Psalm 71:18 εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ὁ ποιῶν θαυμάσια μόνος
NAU Psalm 83:18 That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, Are the Most High over all the earth.
LXT Psalm 82:19 καὶ γνώτωσαν ὅτι ὄνομά σοι κύριος σὺ μόνος ὕψιστος ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν
NAU Psalm 86:10 For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.
LXT Psalm 85:10 ὅτι μέγας εἶ σὺ καὶ ποιῶν θαυμάσια σὺ εἶ ὁ θεὸς μόνος ὁ μέγας
NAU Psalm 148:13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and heaven.
LXT Psalm 148:13 αἰνεσάτωσαν τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου ὅτι ὑψώθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ μόνου ἡ ἐξομολόγησις αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ γῆς καὶ οὐρανοῦ
NAU Isaiah 2:17 The pride of man will be humbled And the loftiness of men will be abased; And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,
LXT Isaiah 2:17 καὶ ταπεινωθήσεται πᾶς ἄνθρωπος καὶ πεσεῖται ὕψος ἀνθρώπων καὶ ὑψωθήσεται κύριος μόνος ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ
NAU Isaiah 37:16 “O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
LXT Isaiah 37:16 κύριε σαβαωθ ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῶν χερουβιν σὺ θεὸς μόνος εἶ πάσης βασιλείας τῆς οἰκουμένης σὺ ἐποίησας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν
NAU Isaiah 37:20 “Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God.”
LXT Isaiah 37:20 σὺ δέ κύριε ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν σῶσον ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτῶν ἵνα γνῷ πᾶσα βασιλεία τῆς γῆς ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ θεὸς μόνος
NAU Nehemiah 9:6 “You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before You.
LXT Nehemiah 9:6 καὶ εἶπεν Εσδρας σὺ εἶ αὐτὸς κύριος μόνος σὺ ἐποίησας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν στάσιν αὐτῶν τὴν γῆν καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐστὶν ἐν αὐτῇ τὰς θαλάσσας καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐταῖς καὶ σὺ ζωοποιεῖς τὰ πάντα καὶ σοὶ προσκυνοῦσιν αἱ στρατιαὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν
LXA Prayer of Azariah 1:21 And let them know that thou art God, the only God, and glorious over the whole world.
LXT Daniel 3:45 γνώτωσαν ὅτι σὺ εἶ μόνος κύριος ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἔνδοξος ἐφ᾽ ὅλην τὴν οἰκουμένην
New Testament
NAU John 5:44 “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?
BNT John 5:44 πῶς δύνασθε ὑμεῖς πιστεῦσαι δόξαν παρὰ ἀλλήλων λαμβάνοντες, καὶ τὴν δόξαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ μόνου θεοῦ οὐ ζητεῖτε;
NAU John 17:3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
BNT John 17:3 αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.
And just for fun…
Jewish Apocrypha:
LXA 1 Esdras 8:25 Then said Esdras the scribe, Blessed be the only Lord God of my fathers, who hath put these things into the heart of the king, to glorify his house that is in Jerusalem:
LXT 1 Esdras 8:25 εὐλογητὸς μόνος ὁ κύριος ὁ δοὺς ταῦτα εἰς τὴν καρδίαν τοῦ βασιλέως δοξάσαι τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ τὸν ἐν Ιερουσαλημ
LXT Odes 2:12 κύριος μόνος ἦγεν αὐτούς καὶ οὐκ ἦν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν θεὸς ἀλλότριος (Ode 2:12 LXT)
The only Lord led them and there was no foreign God with them
LXT Odes 7:45 καὶ γνώτωσαν ὅτι σὺ εἶ κύριος ὁ θεὸς μόνος καὶ ἔνδοξος ἐφ᾽ ὅλην τὴν οἰκουμένην (Ode 7:45 LXT)
Let then make know that You are the only God and be glorified in all the world
LXT Odes 14:26 σὺ εἶ μόνος κύριος (Ode 14:26 LXT)
LXA Sirach 18:2 The Lord only is righteous, and there is none other but he,
LXT Sirach 18:2 κύριος μόνος δικαιωθήσεται
LXA 2 Maccabees 7:37 But I, as my brethren, offer up my body and life for the laws of our fathers, beseeching God that he would speedily be merciful unto our nation; and that thou by torments and plagues mayest confess, that he alone is God;
LXT 2 Maccabees 7:37 ἐγὼ δέ καθάπερ οἱ ἀδελφοί καὶ σῶμα καὶ ψυχὴν προδίδωμι περὶ τῶν πατρίων νόμων ἐπικαλούμενος τὸν θεὸν ἵλεως ταχὺ τῷ ἔθνει γενέσθαι καὶ σὲ μετὰ ἐτασμῶν καὶ μαστίγων ἐξομολογήσασθαι διότι μόνος αὐτὸς θεός ἐστιν
LXA 4 Maccabees 5:24 And it instructs us in justice, so that in all our dealings we render what is due; and it teaches us piety, so that we worship the one only God becomingly.
LXT 4 Maccabees 5:24 καὶ δικαιοσύνην παιδεύει ὥστε διὰ πάντων τῶν ἠθῶν ἰσονομεῖν καὶ εὐσέβειαν ἐκδιδάσκει ὥστε μόνον τὸν ὄντα θεὸν σέβειν μεγαλοπρεπῶς