exegesis

ex·e·ge·sis

noun \ˌek-sə-ˈjē-səs, ˈek-sə-ˌ\

plural ex·e·ge·ses\-ˈjē-(ˌ)sēz\

Definition of EXEGESIS

: exposition, explanation; especially : an explanation or critical interpretation of a text

Examples of EXEGESIS

1. <a psychobiography that purports to be the definitive exegesis of the late president's character>

Origin of EXEGESIS

New Latin, from Greek exēgēsis, from exēgeisthai to explain, interpret, from ex- + hēgeisthai to lead — more at seek

First Known Use: 1619

Related to EXEGESIS

Synonyms

clarification, construction, elucidation, explanation, explication, exposition, illumination, illustration, interpretation, road map

Related Words

paraphrase, restatement, translation; annotation, comment, commentary, epexegesis, gloss; deciphering, decoding; disentanglement, unscrambling; analysis; edification, enlightenment; definition, meaning; demonstration, enactment; justification, rationale, rationalization, reasoning; caution, caveat, warning

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

Rhymes with EXEGESIS

anamnesis, apheresis, catachresis, catechesis

exegesis

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Scholarly interpretation of religious texts, using linguistic, historical, and other methods. In Judaism and Christianity, it has been used extensively in the study of the Bible. Textual criticism tries to establish the accuracy of biblical texts. Philological criticism deals with grammar, vocabulary, and style in pursuit of faithful translation. Literary criticism classifies texts according to style and attempts to establish authorship, date, and audience. Tradition criticism seeks the sources of biblical materials and traces their development. Redaction criticism examines the way pieces of the tradition have been assembled into a literary composition by editors. Form criticism studies the way narratives are shaped by the cultures that produce them. Historical criticism looks at a text's historical context.