ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τοῦ πατρός μου μοναὶ πολλαί εἰσιν· εἰ δὲ μή, εἶπον ἂν ὑμῖν, ὅτι πορεύομαι ἑτοιμάσαι τόπον ὑμῖν.
en tē oikia tou patros mou monai pollai eisin; ei de mē, eipon an hymin, hoti poreuomai hetoimasai topon hymin.
"In the house of my Father are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you, because I am going to prepare a place for you."
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Greek | μοναί |
| Lexical Form | μονή (monē) |
| Part of Speech | Noun, Feminine |
| Case/Number | Nominative Plural |
| Meaning | Abode, dwelling place, place of staying, lodging, resting place |
The noun μονή (monē) comes from the verb μένω (menō), meaning:
This is one of the key words in John's Gospel:
John 14:23:
καὶ μονὴν παρ' αὐτῷ ποιησόμεθα
"And We will make our dwelling with him."
Thus the idea is not primarily a luxurious mansion but a permanent abiding place.
In classical Greek it could refer to a stopping place on a journey. In John's Gospel the emphasis is on permanence and abiding fellowship.
The King James Version (1611) translates:
"In my Father's house are many mansions."
In seventeenth-century English, mansion simply meant:
"a dwelling place or residence"
It did not necessarily mean a large luxury house as it commonly does today. Modern translations therefore often use:
There is a deliberate wordplay:
Jesus is essentially saying:
"There are many abiding places in My Father's house."
Later He says:
"The Father and I will make Our abiding place with the believer."
The emphasis is not merely on heavenly real estate but on permanent communion with God.
μονή (monē) does not primarily mean a luxurious mansion. It means:
an abiding place, dwelling place, residence, or place of permanent rest.
The plural μοναί (monai) in John 14:2 means:
"many dwelling places" or "many abiding places" in the Father's house.