Guidelines for Interpreting Scripture
Exegesis - What is it?
The word "exegesis" is a Greek word that can be literally rendered "to lead out," "to explain," or "to interpret." Not surprisingly, not all biblical scholars agree on the overall purpose of exegesis or what it might look like in practice. Since my hermeneutical framework is predominantly that of a historian, I am most interested in determining authorial intention (what was the writer trying to say) and audience reception (how would the author's intended audience understand what she or he was writing). This is complicated in biblical studies (and many other writings) by the temporal and cultural distance between the modern reader and the ancient text, not to mention the fact that the texts are written in languages in which many of us are not fluent (biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek). In addition, all readers, past and present, have preconceived notions about the meaning of words or texts (especially biblical texts with which they may or may not have some familiarity) and these notions can bias our reading of a particular ancient text.
Unfortunately, we cannot fully escape our own personal, cultural, and historic predispositions. Fortunately, we can be attempt to be aware of the influence they have on our readings of a text. The process of "exegesis" helps us read texts by providing tools for working through the text and by raising awareness of the biases that are influencing the way we are reading the text.
With this in mind we can offer the following working definition of "exegesis": a systematic process by which a person arrives at a reasonable and coherent sense of the meaning and message of a biblical text.
Outcomes
● for all readers: to explain what the text meant for its original writer and audience in its original literary and socio-historical setting.
● for readers for whom the text is sacred scripture: to determine what the text means for faith and action in the modern period.
Academic Outputs
● Observation & Interpretation: construct the original meaning of the text in its context
● Communication: construct a means to convey this meaning to others (e.g., essay)
Theological Outputs (not appropriate in the Religious Studies setting)
● Application: determine how the text applies to faith and practice for the believing community today
● Proclamation: construct a means to convey this message (e.g., sermon)
The word "exegesis" is a Greek word that can be literally rendered "to lead out," "to explain," or "to interpret." Not surprisingly, not all biblical scholars agree on the overall purpose of exegesis or what it might look like in practice. Since my hermeneutical framework is predominantly that of a historian, I am most interested in determining authorial intention (what was the writer trying to say) and audience reception (how would the author's intended audience understand what she or he was writing). This is complicated in biblical studies (and many other writings) by the temporal and cultural distance between the modern reader and the ancient text, not to mention the fact that the texts are written in languages in which many of us are not fluent (biblical Hebrew and Koine Greek). In addition, all readers, past and present, have preconceived notions about the meaning of words or texts (especially biblical texts with which they may or may not have some familiarity) and these notions can bias our reading of a particular ancient text.
Unfortunately, we cannot fully escape our own personal, cultural, and historic predispositions. Fortunately, we can be attempt to be aware of the influence they have on our readings of a text. The process of "exegesis" helps us read texts by providing tools for working through the text and by raising awareness of the biases that are influencing the way we are reading the text.
With this in mind we can offer the following working definition of "exegesis": a systematic process by which a person arrives at a reasonable and coherent sense of the meaning and message of a biblical text.
Outcomes
● for all readers: to explain what the text meant for its original writer and audience in its original literary and socio-historical setting.
● for readers for whom the text is sacred scripture: to determine what the text means for faith and action in the modern period.
Academic Outputs
● Observation & Interpretation: construct the original meaning of the text in its context
● Communication: construct a means to convey this meaning to others (e.g., essay)
Theological Outputs (not appropriate in the Religious Studies setting)
● Application: determine how the text applies to faith and practice for the believing community today
● Proclamation: construct a means to convey this message (e.g., sermon)
Academic Output - Observation & Interpretation
Observation: "What does the author say?"
Begin by reading the text, perhaps a few times
● use a good translation; it may help to read a few different types of translations
● be sure to take account of the translation methodology
● read the larger context of the passage; i.e., the chapter or letter or even the entire book
Determine the limits of the passage
● where does the writer begin/end the thought / story?
Note your specific observations concerning the passage
● what key words, images, symbols are used?
● where else are key words used by the same writer? By other biblical writers? Outside the Bible?
● what characters appear and what are their relationships?
● what issues are addressed in the passage?
● are there any variant readings noted in the footnotes? (=textual criticism)
● is there a particular literary form (genre) to take note of (e.g., letter; healing; parable)? (=form criticism)
● are there any structuring devices used in the text (e.g., parallelism; proofs)? (=rhetorical criticism)
● did the passage have a source? do we have access to that source? (=source criticism)
● what unique views or emphases does the writer place on the text? (=redaction criticism
o what is the writer's life situation or theological outlook?
● are there any parallel texts inside or outside of the Bible
● what are the socio-cultural codes embedded in the text (e.g., honour/shame)? (=social-scientific
criticism)
● is there any independent confirmation of the events recorded? (=historical veracity)
Ask yourself what cultural assumptions you might be making; e.g., economic, health, family
Use exegetical tools (commentaries, dictionaries, atlas, etc.) only when necessary
Interpretation: "What did the author mean?"
Socio-historical context: What is the author's and audience's situation?
● politics; geography; topography; demographics; customs
● use a good Bible dictionary, atlas, encyclopedia
● for whom was it written?
● what issue(s) does the passage address?
Literary context
● interpretation goes along with genre
o is the passage narrative, poetic, parable, etc.?
o should it be interpreted literally or figuratively?
● focus on significant words, phrases, statements
o what is its meaning (definitions; contextualize)?
o what is its significance in the passage?
o why would the author choose this way of expression?
o does it have a special grammatical role?
o does it make a difference if it were left out?
o what is implied by the use of this term or phrase or grammatical structure?
Rhetorical context: what is the significance of the progression in the thought pattern?
● what was the author trying to convey to the audience - e.g., theological truths, practical advice?
● what types of responses did the author expect on the basis of writing this passage?
Theological context: what do you know about the author's theological perspective?
Hermeneutical issues:
● what are the challenges in moving from one social context (the ancient world) to another (our
● what blinders might have prevented me from seeing things in the text
● what can modern contextal approaches tell me (e.g., liberationist; feminist; post-colonial)?
Investigate the secondary literature; compare and adjust your own observations
Concisely summarize the primary ideas of the text; what is the author trying to convey?
Source: Richard Ascough’s Guide to Interpreting Scripture: http://post.queensu.ca/~rsa/Exegesis_Guide.htm
Observation: "What does the author say?"
Begin by reading the text, perhaps a few times
● use a good translation; it may help to read a few different types of translations
● be sure to take account of the translation methodology
● read the larger context of the passage; i.e., the chapter or letter or even the entire book
Determine the limits of the passage
● where does the writer begin/end the thought / story?
Note your specific observations concerning the passage
● what key words, images, symbols are used?
● where else are key words used by the same writer? By other biblical writers? Outside the Bible?
● what characters appear and what are their relationships?
● what issues are addressed in the passage?
● are there any variant readings noted in the footnotes? (=textual criticism)
● is there a particular literary form (genre) to take note of (e.g., letter; healing; parable)? (=form criticism)
● are there any structuring devices used in the text (e.g., parallelism; proofs)? (=rhetorical criticism)
● did the passage have a source? do we have access to that source? (=source criticism)
● what unique views or emphases does the writer place on the text? (=redaction criticism
- how has the writer used the sources?
o what is the writer's life situation or theological outlook?
● are there any parallel texts inside or outside of the Bible
● what are the socio-cultural codes embedded in the text (e.g., honour/shame)? (=social-scientific
criticism)
● is there any independent confirmation of the events recorded? (=historical veracity)
Ask yourself what cultural assumptions you might be making; e.g., economic, health, family
Use exegetical tools (commentaries, dictionaries, atlas, etc.) only when necessary
Interpretation: "What did the author mean?"
Socio-historical context: What is the author's and audience's situation?
● politics; geography; topography; demographics; customs
● use a good Bible dictionary, atlas, encyclopedia
● for whom was it written?
● what issue(s) does the passage address?
Literary context
● interpretation goes along with genre
o is the passage narrative, poetic, parable, etc.?
o should it be interpreted literally or figuratively?
● focus on significant words, phrases, statements
o what is its meaning (definitions; contextualize)?
o what is its significance in the passage?
o why would the author choose this way of expression?
o does it have a special grammatical role?
o does it make a difference if it were left out?
o what is implied by the use of this term or phrase or grammatical structure?
Rhetorical context: what is the significance of the progression in the thought pattern?
● what was the author trying to convey to the audience - e.g., theological truths, practical advice?
● what types of responses did the author expect on the basis of writing this passage?
Theological context: what do you know about the author's theological perspective?
Hermeneutical issues:
● what are the challenges in moving from one social context (the ancient world) to another (our
● what blinders might have prevented me from seeing things in the text
● what can modern contextal approaches tell me (e.g., liberationist; feminist; post-colonial)?
Investigate the secondary literature; compare and adjust your own observations
Concisely summarize the primary ideas of the text; what is the author trying to convey?
Source: Richard Ascough’s Guide to Interpreting Scripture: http://post.queensu.ca/~rsa/Exegesis_Guide.htm