exegesis
Critical text interpretation
Exegesis is careful, systematic interpretation of a text, especially scripture.
The word implies close reading and scholarly analysis—unpacking meaning from ancient or difficult passages: His exegesis of Paul's letter to the Romans filled three volumes.
Though rooted in biblical studies, exegesis applies to any text requiring careful interpretation: legal documents, literary works, philosophical treatises.
Explanatory remarks on events
- expositionSystematic explanatory presentation
- annotationAdded explanatory comment
- elucidationAct of explaining clearly
- explicationDetailed interpretive analysis
gloss · parsing · unpacking · dissection · clarification · paraphrase · explanation · footnote
Sacred religious writings
- hermeneuticsStudy of interpretation methods
- SeptuagintGreek translation of Hebrew scriptures
- codexAncient bound manuscript
- canonAccepted authoritative works
apocrypha · pseudepigrapha · Torah · Gospels · Pentateuch · epistles · Dead Sea Scrolls · papyrus
Study of interpretation methods
- contextualizationPlacing something within circumstances
- semioticsStudy of signs, symbols
- reader-responseCriticism emphasizing audience interpretation
- intertextualityConnections between written works
structuralism · deconstruction · meaning · signification · phenomenology · discourse · Gadamer · Schleiermacher
Study of historical texts
- paleographyStudy of ancient handwriting
- manuscriptOriginal text before publication
- apparatusEquipment for a task
- recensionCritical textual revision
collation · emendation · gloss · marginalia · redaction · lexicography
Islam's central scripture
Established body of teachings
- eschatologyStudy of ultimate destiny
- ecclesiologyStudy of church theology
- ChristologyDoctrine of the Messiah's nature
- apologeticsSystematic doctrine defense
dogmatics · theodicy · homiletics · angelology · sanctification · sacrament
commentary
Explanatory remarks on events
- expositionSystematic explanatory presentation
- annotationAdded explanatory comment
- elucidationAct of explaining clearly
explication · gloss · parsing · unpacking · dissection · clarification · paraphrase · explanation · footnote · critique
scripture
Sacred religious writings
- hermeneuticsStudy of interpretation methods
- SeptuagintGreek translation of Hebrew scriptures
- codexAncient bound manuscript
canon · apocrypha · pseudepigrapha · Torah · Gospels · Pentateuch · epistles · Dead Sea Scrolls · papyrus · prophets
hermeneutics
Study of interpretation methods
- contextualizationPlacing something within circumstances
- semioticsStudy of signs, symbols
- reader-responseCriticism emphasizing audience interpretation
intertextuality · structuralism · deconstruction · meaning · signification · phenomenology · discourse · Gadamer · Schleiermacher · horizon
philology
Study of historical texts
- paleographyStudy of ancient handwriting
- manuscriptOriginal text before publication
- apparatusEquipment for a task
recension · collation · emendation · gloss · marginalia · redaction · lexicography
Quran
Islam's central scripture
sutras · hadith · Upanishads · Tanakh · Mishnah · Kabbalah · dharma
doctrine
Established body of teachings
- eschatologyStudy of ultimate destiny
- ecclesiologyStudy of church theology
- ChristologyDoctrine of the Messiah's nature
apologetics · dogmatics · theodicy · homiletics · angelology · sanctification · sacrament
- written worksessay, novel, anthologies, history books, letter
- interpretationinterpretive dance, translation, interpreting, translating, construing
- poetry criticismmeter, rhyme scheme, scansion, prosody, close reading
- textual analysistextual analysis, explication, annotation, close reading, interpretation
- literary termsmetaphor, character analysis, symbolism, prologue, epilogue
- research methodsexperiment, hypothesis, deduction, experiments, induction
exegesisreading into
Inferring unintended significance
projection · misreading · misinterpretation · subjective interpretation · distortion