Word of the Day:

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

"He has … a real gift for exegesis, unpacking poems in language that is nearly as eloquent as the poet's, and as clear as faithfulness allows." — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 2 May 2016

"Every participant was expected to read a passage from his/her holy text. And then, rather than a scholarly interpretation or exegesis rooted in centuries of tradition, they share what they personally understood from it." — Ali R. Cadir, The Houston Chronicle, 22 Oct. 2017

More example sentences

Theological scholars have long been preoccupied with interpreting the meanings of various passages in the Bible. In fact, because of the sacred status of the Bible in both Judaism and Christianity, biblical interpretation has played a crucial role in both of those religions throughout their histories. English speakers have used the word exegesis—a descendant of the Greek term exēgeisthai, meaning "to explain" or "to interpret"—to refer to explanations of Scripture since the early 17th century. Nowadays, however, academic writers interpret all sorts of texts, and exegesis is no longer associated mainly with the Bible.