The only begotten God

[TonyChanYT]

Young's Literal Translation, John 1:

18 God no one hath ever seen; the only begotten Son, who is on the bosom of the Father -- he did declare.

The above translation was based on Byzantine Majority Text:

Θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε· ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός, ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρός, ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο.

Berean Literal Bible: No one has ever yet seen God. The only begotten God, the One being in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known.

Westcott and Hort / [NA27 variants]:

θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε· μονογενὴς θεὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο.

Some manuscripts have μονογενὴς υἱός (only begotten son); others have μονογενὴς θεὸς (only begotten god). For this verse, the two terms seem to be interchangeable.

See also

• For God so loved the world, that he gave his only BEGOTTEN Son
• Is Jesus God?

 

[Randy Kluth]

Young's Literal Translation, John 1:


The above translation was based on Byzantine Majority Text:


Berean Literal Bible: No one has ever yet seen God. The only begotten God, the One being in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known.

Westcott and Hort / [NA27 variants]:


Some manuscripts have μονογενὴς υἱός (only begotten son); others have μονογενὴς θεὸς (only begotten god). For this verse, the two terms seem to be interchangeable.

See also

• For God so loved the world, that he gave his only BEGOTTEN Son
• Is Jesus God?

If there are different words in the diverging manuscripts then those who made the change from Son to God, or vice versa, certainly saw the two different terms as meaning the same thing.

Though one word, whether "Son" or "God" would be preferred as more "word for word" translation, , I think it is pretty obvious that "Son of God" in this particular context infers *Deity made flesh.* That is, this Man was Divine because he was "only Begotten."

It seems to me that "Son" is more likely the older translation, though I've not researched this. But an "only-begotten Son" does imply Deity. Jesus was a unique "Son," and not a unique "God."