exegesis
4 synonyms for exegesis, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A close, systematic explanation of a text, especially a religious one, aimed at drawing out what it actually says and meant to its first readers.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use exegesis
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
biblical exegesis
exegesis of the text
careful exegesis
exegesis and commentary
Scholarly and theological; in general writing 'interpretation' or 'analysis' reads better.
Etymology
From Greek exēgēsis ('interpretation'), from exēgeisthai ('to lead out, explain'), from ex ('out') plus hēgeisthai ('to lead').
Full origin of exegesis →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between exegesis and eisegesis?
Exegesis draws meaning out of a text by attending to its language, context and original audience. Eisegesis reads meaning into a text, projecting the reader's own assumptions onto it. The first is the goal of scholarship; the second is the error it tries to avoid.
What is the difference between exegesis and hermeneutics?
Hermeneutics is the theory: the principles and methods that govern how texts should be interpreted. Exegesis is the practice: applying those principles to a particular passage. You use hermeneutics to do exegesis.
What is the plural of 'exegesis'?
'Exegeses', pronounced ek-suh-JEE-seez, following the Greek pattern seen in 'thesis' and 'theses'. The adjective is 'exegetical'.
