Greek word · G3442

μονόφθαλμος

monophthalmos

one-eyed

'One-eyed', 'having only one eye'. A plain physical description.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Greek New Testament. ·

What it means

μον-όφθαλμος, -ον

(μόνος),

Ionic and κοινή,

one-eyed, having one eye: Matthew 18:9, Mark 9:47.†

(AS)

From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Mark 9:47

Range of meaning

'One-eyed', 'having only one eye'. A plain physical description.

Against the English

'With one eye' (BSB, KJV, NIV) is accurate. YLT's 'one-eyed' keeps the harshness of the adjective, which describes the person and not just what he has.

Used elsewhere in the period

Herodotus uses it for the legendary one-eyed Arimaspians (3.116; 4.27). The Atticist grammarian Phrynichus (2nd century AD) objected to it as unrefined everyday Greek. In the Bible it appears only here and in Matthew 18:9.

Where it appears

Matthew · 1

  1. Matthew 18:9 μονόφθαλμον one-eyed

    And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

    Here: A blunt, everyday word ('one-eyed'), describing the person entering. The picture is of someone visibly disfigured.

Mark · 1

  1. Mark 9:47 μονόφθαλμον with one eye

    And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,

    Here: A blunt, everyday word, 'one-eyed', describing someone visibly disfigured. The picture is shocking on purpose: a maimed person walking into God's kingdom.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.