Have you ever heard of exegesis? If you read or study the Bible, chances are you’re practicing exegesis and don’t even know it.
Exegesis has important significance to Bible-loving Christians. It means a critical interpretation and “pulling out” of information to properly interpret scripture.
Practice exegesis and we’ll avoid the pitfalls of EISEGESIS, which is the inserting of meaning into text. This involves the bending of words to agree with our own personal beliefs and biases. The result: We get the interpretation wrong.
Three Aspects Of Exegesis
When critically interpreting scripture there are three areas that need investigation …
1. Text: The ability to look at the original language – whether it’s Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek – and glean the truest meaning from the word, phrase, or sentence.
2. Historical Context: How does the historical place, culture, or happening help shed light on the scripture studied?
3. Literary Context: How the author’s mode of expression reveals the truest meaning. In the Bible we find narratives (stories), parables (the presenting of concepts in a non-literal way), hyperbole (non-literal exaggeration to make a point), proverbs (wisdom literature, such as found in the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes), Songs/Prayers/Laments (such as the book of Psalms), genealogies and lists (such as the documentation that Jesus came from the line of David, found in the Gospel of Matthew), and moral laws and ritual laws (such as found in the Ten Commandments and the book of Leviticus).
Examples Of Exegesis In Action
The Gospel of Matthew (5:29) records Jesus saying that if our right eye causes us to sin, we should pluck it out since it’s better to lose one of our members than go to hell. This is an example of hyperbole (exaggeration), since every human being ever born WITH THE EXCEPTION OF JESUS has sinned. There would NOT be one sighted person on planet earth if we took that passage literally.
In Revelation 3:15-16 we have another example where exegesis helps us pull meaning from scripture …
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth.
One must look at the historical context of this verse to get its truest meaning. Some interpret this scripture to signify that it’s better to strongly disbelieve in Christ Jesus than being a wishy-washy Christian. Its truest interpretation becomes apparent when we realize that John was referring to a place which did not have suitable drinking water. Click here for the full story.
Put Yourself In Their Shoes
Put Yourself In Their Shoes
The process of exegesis requires us to put ourselves into the shoes of the Bible’s authors and their intended audiences. By applying knowledge of the original languages written … the historical and cultural context … and the literary style used, we can “pull out” a more correct meaning to help us grow as Christians.
