Expositors

An expository interpreter or commentator is a person who explains or interprets a text, especially sacred scripture. The term derives from Latin expositor, from exponere, "to set forth" or "explain." An expository approach concentrates on the meaning of the text within its literary and historical context rather than on topical or devotional themes.

In religious contexts, expositors deliver expository preaching or exegesis-based commentary. This style involves verse-by-verse or passage-by-passage exposition aimed at revealing the original meaning, audience, and message, often with applications for contemporary readers. In Protestant and early modern Christian traditions, expositors have been influential figures who wrote commentaries, sermon collections, or treatises that explain biblical books.

In secular usage, an expository writer provides an exposition of a text, argument, or phenomenon. In literature and philosophy, expositors produce critical commentaries, annotations, or interpretive essays that clarify terms, concepts, and relationships.

Related terms include exposition, exegesis, and commentary. The distinction often lies in aim: exegesis interprets a text to determine its meaning; exposition presents that meaning in a structured account. The Expositor's Bible Commentary is an example of a long-running Christian expository series.