WHAT DOES 'Only begotten' ACTUALLY MEAN?

WORD STUDY OF 'ONLY BEGOTTEN':

The Greek word is G3439 monogenes, 

the corresponding Hebrew word is H3173 yachid.

This Hebrew word H3173 yachid (properly united, that is,
sole; by implication beloved, also lonely)

is translated in Greek as 

G25 agapao (to treat with affection; to caress, love, be fond of)

and                                                                                                                                                                  
G27 agapetos (beloved, esteemed, dear, favourite, worthy of love)

as well as 

G3439 monogenes (single of its kind, only)

USE (Old Testament):

 

H3173 yachid occurs 12 times in the KJV, appearing as the underlined translations below:

He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." Gen 22:2

He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." Gen 22:12

and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, Gen 22:16

Then Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah. And behold, his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and with dances. She was his only child; besides her he had neither son nor daughter. Judges 11:34

Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the 
            power of the dog!  Psalm 22:20

Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely (alone)
            and afflicted.  Psalm 25:16 

How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions! Ps 35:17

God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land. Ps 68:6

I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head; I will make it like the mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day. Amos 8:10

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. Zech 12:10

USE (New Testament):

There are 9 occurrences of G3439 monogenes in the New Testament:

As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. Luke 7:12

…for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. Luke 8:42a

And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. Luke 9:38

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. John 1:18

(This is not a good translation (ESV), the English words of this very difficult to translate phrase are chosen to express a particular doctrine. The Greek words are more closely rendered this way: No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:18

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, Hebrews 11:17

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 1 John 4:9

In the New Testament, there are 109 occurences of the Greek word agapao (G25), and 61 occurences of the Greek word agapetos (G27) being used to render the Hebrew word yachid for ‘only begotten’. 

It is clear there is a heavy emphasis on the state of this child’s being uniquely loved.

SUMMARY:

The ‘only begotten’ is not necessarily the only child. As in the case of Abraham’s children, Isaac is called the ‘only begotten’ son, though it is clear that Abraham had Ishmael as well as other children:

For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him Gen 18:19

But to the sons of his concubines Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward to the east country. Gen 25:6

The sons of Keturah, Abraham’s concubine: she bore Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 1 Chron 1:32a

At the time of Isaac’s birth, it is clear that Isaac was not the firstborn either, as Ishmael was born first. It could be that as the son of the first or fully privileged wife, Isaac was considered the ‘only son’.

With the additional and very frequent translation of ‘only begotten’ as ‘beloved’ it seems clear that the term ‘only begotten’ has far more to do with beloved standing than singleness of offspring. An ‘only begotten’ is uniquely privileged, set apart, ‘only’ in this uniqueness. Or an ‘only begotten’ many be beloved BECAUSE he/she is a single offspring. But the emphasis seems to be quite firmly on the aspect of ‘beloved’ over the aspect of numerically single offspring.