Exegese

Exegese, or exegesis, is the careful interpretation and explanation of a text to determine its meaning in its original context and for later readers. The goal is to reconstruct the author's intended sense, the text’s historical and cultural setting, and its linguistic and literary features, while also considering its reception and application. Exegesis is distinguished from eisegesis, which describes reading one's own presuppositions into the text.

Historically and across traditions, exegesis is central to biblical studies, classical philology, and religious studies. In Judaism, Christian, and Islamic traditions, exegesis has produced diverse genres such as rabbinic interpretation, patristic commentary, and tafsir. In secular contexts, exegesis applies to literary and historical texts.

Methodologically, exegesis uses philology and textual criticism to establish the most likely wording and sense of the source text, alongside historical-critical methods to situate it in its original setting. Literary, rhetorical, and form- or redaction-criticism examine genre, structure, and editorial processes. Hermeneutical approaches guide how readers today interpret the text, influencing conclusions about meaning and application.

The practice relies on manuscripts, historical context, linguistic analysis, and commentary. Critics note that exegesis can be shaped by interpretive frameworks and biases, and discussions about authority, method, and relevance continue to evolve as scholarship and communities engage with texts.