Mostly ancient ones, the original meaning of which is obscured due to their age or insufficient preservation of sources. Understanding is achieved by grammatical study of language, study historical realities and by revealing hints, the meaning of which has become incomprehensible over time; concrete psychological research and consideration of the laws of the form of the work.
Exegesis served as the main source of hermeneutics (ancient Greek. ἑρμηνευτική , from ἑρμηνεύω - I explain, I interpret). In relation to the Bible, hermeneutics (lat. Hermeneutica Sacra) means clarifying the threefold meaning of the text: sensory-literal, abstract-moral and ideal-mystical.
see also
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Synonyms:See what “Exegesis” is in other dictionaries:
- (Greek). Interpretation, explanation of some place in the Holy Scriptures. scripture. Dictionary foreign words, included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. EXEGESIS [gr. exegesis interpretation] interpretation of unclear passages in the ancients (chap. religious)… … Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
- [ze], exegesis, plural. no, female (Greek exegesis interpretation) (special). In theology, interpretation, interpretation of the text. Biblical exegesis. || Generally a philological interpretation. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary
Interpretation Dictionary of Russian synonyms. exegesis noun, number of synonyms: 2 interpretation (17) ... Synonym dictionary
exegesis- y, w. exégèse f. gr. exegesis interpretation. 1. Philological interpretation of literary texts, ch. arr. antique. SIS 1954. General philological interpretation. Ush. 1940. One S.N. Tsvet admires him with Turgenev’s story “The Clock” and believes... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language
- (Greek) analysis, explanation, interpretation, especially of the Bible; The method of interpreting texts is called exegetical. Philosophical encyclopedic Dictionary. 2010 … Philosophical Encyclopedia
- (from Greek exegesis interpretation) English. exegesis; German Exegese. 1. Philological interpretation of the meaning of literary texts, mainly ancient ones. 2. Theological interpretation of biblical texts. see HERMENEUTICS. Antinazi. Encyclopedia of Sociology... Encyclopedia of Sociology
- (Greek exegesis - interpretation) - interpretation of unclear passages in ancient, especially religious texts. Big Dictionary in cultural studies.. Kononenko B.I.. 2003 ... Encyclopedia of Cultural Studies
Exegesis- (from the gr. exegese interpretation) an explanation of a text that is not entirely clear. It arose in studies of poetic material (for example, the poems of Homer). Then it was also transferred to prose. Methodically developed by Herodotus, the Sophists, Plato, Aristotle. WITH… … Encyclopedia of Law
- (from Greek exégésis interpretation) 1) philological. interpretation of ancient texts, mainly ancient ones. 2) Interpretation, interpretation of canonical religious texts, mainly the Bible and the Koran... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
G. Interpretation of unclear or controversial passages in ancient (usually religious) texts. Ephraim's explanatory dictionary. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova
Exegesis, exegeses, exegeses, exegeses, exegeses, exegeses, exegeses, exegeses, exegeses, exegeses, exegeses, exegeses, exegeses (Source: “Complete accentuated paradigm according to A. A. Zaliznyak”) ... Forms of words
Books
- , Esfahani M. , This publication is an abridged version of the book “A Study of the Scientific Miracles of the Quran,” which went through several editions in Iran and became the subject of close attention... Category: Islam (Muslim) Series: Publisher: St. Petersburg Oriental Studies,
- Miracles and Amazing Aspects of the Qur'an, Isfahani Muhammad Ali Rizai, This publication is an abridged version of the book "A Study of the Scientific Miracles of the Qur'an", which went through several editions in Iran and became the subject of close attention... Category: Islam Publisher:
JEWISH AND JUDAIAN EXEGESIS
interpretation of the Bible in *Judaism and *Judaism.
Jewish exegesis originates from Prince Daniel, in which the priest. the writer reflects on the meaning of Jeremiah's prophecy (Dan 9:1–2). This interpretation is still inseparable from *Revelation (Dan 9:20 ff.). The next stage of Jewish exegesis is associated with the activities of Ezra (5th century BC). 1 Ezra 7:10 says that Ezra “set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to do it, and to teach law and righteousness in Israel.” The word “teach” (Heb. leaderosh) formed the basis of the term *midrash, interpretation. Due to the spread * Aramaic assistants
Ezra was forced to translate the book. Law and explain them (Nehemiah 8:8). From these comments. translations arose *Targums. Palestinian Jewish exegesis was summarized, ch. arr., to the interpretation of the Law in the spirit of *Halacha, i.e. in relation to the church. statutes. These commentaries were taught orally by Jerusalem teachers. The first written commentaries in Judea belong to members of the *Qumran community (2nd–1st centuries BC). Their compilers pursued the goal of understanding, in the light of Scripture, the role and fate of their sect. Unlike Palestinian Jewish exegesis, exegesis * Alexandrian school widely used the *allegorical method and sought to combine the Bible with ancient thought (*Philo).
Judaic interpretation of the OT. The first monument of Jewish exegesis can be considered the works of * Josephus Flavius, who gave a number of historical. Commentaries to the Bible narration. The Alexandrian Jewish school had no continuation in Jewish exegesis. Ch. its centers were in the first centuries AD. The city of Jamnia in Palestine and the Babylonian *diaspora. The Jamnite Pharisees and their *Tannai and *Amorai successors subordinated Judaic exegesis to the task of creating monolithic religions. systems that would cover all spheres of life. These interpretations became the basis of the *Talmud, which in form is a commentary on the Law (chapter on its cult sections). Gradually, commentators developed a number of rules of *hermeneutics, but did not achieve unity of views. So, in the 2nd century. Ismail ben Elisha insisted on a literal interpretation, while Akiba was inclined to look for allegories everywhere. The debate among commentators lasted until the completion of the Talmud (c. 6th century). Opponents of allegorical interpretation ironically portrayed their opponents speaking the Word To God: “Be silent, and I will interpret!” The period of the *Masoretes coincided with the canonization of the exegetical. traditions, which obscured the direct understanding of the OT. This caused a reaction from the Karaites, who rejected the tradition (see Art. Judaism). But in Orthodoxy the role of the Talmudic. tradition remained dominant. An attempt to bring Jewish exegesis out of stagnation was made by the learned exegete and philologist Saadia Gaon (Egypt, 10th century), translator of the Old Testament into Arabic. He sought to explain Scripture historically, taking into account its entire context. Another interpreter *Rashi (11th century) tried to combine the methods of Saadia with the Talmudic. (Mishnaic) tradition. Next century *Ibn Ezra laid the foundations of *historical methods. critics in Jewish exegesis, but, fearing the condemnation of the Orthodox, encrypted his conclusions. Spinoza later relied on these conclusions. In the same era, *Maimonides introduced elements of antiquity into exegesis and theology. philosophy, for which he was accused of disbelief. In the 13th century Spanish the interpreter Rambam gave exegesis mystical. Kabbalistic character (see Art. Kabbalah). The comments of *Abrabanel (15th century), who was close to the ideas of Christ, became widely known. *Antiochian school. In the 18th century *Mendelssohn based his interpretations on the synthesis of the Talmudic. traditions from Europe educational rationalism. In his portrayal, the religion of the Old Testament appeared as a kind of deism. Historical-critical. German theories The *liberal Protestant school of exegesis was introduced into Jewish exegesis by Leopold Zunz (1794–1866), a student of *Schleiermacher and *De Wette. In Russia, this direction was continued by *Soloveichik, M. Margolin and S. Dubnov.
A number of Jewish scholars (eg, *Cassuto) sharply criticized the *documentary theory. Significant contribution to the Bible. *archeology was contributed by Israeli researchers (Avi-Yona, Avraham Negev, Igael Yadin, *Flusser, etc.), who carried out excavations in various ways. parts of Palestine.
Jewish exegesis on the NT and the person of Jesus Christ. The Talmud contains a number of testimonies about Christ that are openly hostile, reflecting the acute conflict between Judaism and Christianity. Even more hostile was the attitude towards supporters of Judeo-Christianity and Jewish Christians, who are designated by the word minim, heretics. In the Middle Ages there was a Jewish Antichrist. pamphlet “Toldot Yeshu” (“The Story of Jesus”). In this “vile mess,” as the Hebrew called the pamphlet. historian *Gretz, Christ is represented as a magician who used the name of God to perform false miracles. In the 19th century the attitude towards the person of Christ in Jewish exegesis is gradually changing. He is often portrayed as a messianic Prophet, a Teacher of Morals,
"revolutionary spirit" Such are, for example, the works of Joseph Salvador “Jesus Christ and His Teaching” (S a l v a d o r J o s e p h, Jesus–Christ et sa doctrine, v.1–2, P., 1864–65), *Klausner “Jesus of Nazareth”, Flusser “Jesus” (1968, Russian translation: M., 1992). Franz. Jewish writer Robert Aron tried to restore the setting of Christ’s childhood in the book “The Unknown Years of Jesus” (A r o n R o b e r t, Les annês obscures de Júsus, P., 1960). English Jewish theologian Claude Montefiore explored possible aram. prototypes of the Gospels (M o n t e f i o r e C l a u d e (transl. and ed.), Synoptic Gospels, v.1–2, L., 1909). Judaic exegesis rejects the God-manhood of Christ, but *Buber wrote: “The fact that Christianity sees in Him God and Savior has always seemed to me a phenomenon of the greatest importance.” Flusser, in his theses on Christianity and Judaism, argued that the veneration (albeit radically different) of the Founder of the Church could become the basis for dialogue between representatives of both religions. It should be noted that Jewish exegesis of the 19th and 20th centuries. accepted the negative attitude of many liberal Protestants towards the teachings of the Apostle Paul, considering it a distortion of the preaching of Jesus. There is no doubt that the watershed separating Jewish exegesis from Christian exegesis lies in the sphere of faith, in which the historical. research cannot have a decisive say.
? *V i g u r u F., Guide..., vol. 1–2, M., 1897–99; G e n k e l G.G., R. Saadia Gaon, famous Jew. scientist of the 10th century, St. Petersburg, 1895; K o r s u n s k i y I.N., Jewish interpretation of the Old Testament, M., 1892; * N i k o l s k i y N.M., Talmudich. tradition about Jesus, “Works Belarus. state University", Minsk, 1926, No. 6–7; Biblical exegesis (according to the article by V. Bacher), EE, vol. 16; B e n - C h o r i n S., The Image of Jesus in Modern Judaism, “Journal of Ecumenical Studies”, 1974, No. 3; H e r t z J.H. (ed.), The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, L., 1956; JBC, v.2, p.604.
From the book Object Lessons of Christ author White ElenaTHE JUDIAN NATION The parable of the two sons was followed by the parable of the vineyard. In one of them, Christ presented to the Jewish teachers the importance of obedience. In another He pointed out the rich blessings bestowed upon Israel, and through them showed God's requirement of them
From the book Theological Thought of the Reformation author McGrath AlistairExegesis The scientific interpretation of a text. The term is usually used in reference to the Bible. The term "biblical exegesis" essentially means "the process of interpreting the Bible." See pp. 141 - 147. A special technique used in the exegesis of Scripture is usually called
author Bezobrazov Cassian From the book Christ and the First Christian Generation author Cassian Bishop From the book Proverbs of Humanity author Lavsky Viktor VladimirovichJudaic tradition
From the book Handbook on Theology. SDA Bible Commentary Volume 12 author Seventh Day Adventist ChurchB. Intertestamental Jewish Literature As examples of literature written between the two testaments, we will take 1 Enoch and the Book of Jubilees. Both are pseudepigrapha written in the second century BC. e. As might be expected given their origins in
From the book of the Acts of the Holy Apostles by John Stott3. Jewish mission Between 50 BC. e. and 70 AD e. a Jewish mission developed in the empire. Thousands of pagans flocked to synagogues. They were attracted to Judaism by monotheism and high ethical standards of moral law. Many became proselytes, although most did not
From the book Apocryphal Apocalypses author author unknownA. Jewish Opposition Jewish opposition was evident from the very beginning. Luke does not show the slightest hint of anti-Semitism; he is simply stating facts. Thus, he describes how first the Sanhedrin imprisoned Peter and John, and then all the Apostles, with threats
From the book Bibliological Dictionary author Men AlexanderJewish and Christian apocalypticism We are accustomed to attributing the name “Revelation” or “Apocalypse” to one work - a letter in which the Apostle John tells his fellow believers about the stunning vision that once appeared to him on the island of Patmos. Replacing each other
From the book Church of the Holy Spirit author Afanasiev Protopresbyter NikolaiLIBERAL JUDAIAN EXEGESIS interpretation of the Bible within the framework of “enlightenment” and then reformed *Judaism, which abandoned the majority of the Talmudic. traditions, has become a kind of broadly understood theism. L. - i.e. accepts all the conclusions of the *new isagogy,
From the book The Far Future of the Universe [Eschatology in Cosmic Perspective] by Ellis George From the book Unity and Diversity in the New Testament A Study of the Nature of Early Christianity by Dunn James D. From the book "The Bible Unearthed". A New Look archeology author Finkelstein Israel§ 21 Jewish Exegesis in the Time of Jesus It is fairly generally accepted that early Christian use of the Old Testament developed within the context of Jewish exegesis of the time. Let's start with it. For the purposes of our discussion, five main categories of Jewish exegesis can be distinguished:
From the book A Guide to the Bible by Isaac AsimovThe fate of the Jews The German biblical scholar Martin Noth has long argued that the account of events early periods the existence of Israel - the stories of the patriarchs, the Exodus and wanderings in Sinai - were not originally a single saga. He suggested that they were separate traditions of separate
From the book General History of the World's Religions author Karamazov Voldemar DanilovichThe Jewish Passover The Synoptic Gospels record only one visit by Jesus to Jerusalem, and it occurs in the last week of his life, during the Passover. However, John describes several visits to Jerusalem, including at least three Passovers. First visit to Easter
Exegesis is a special branch of theology. It interprets biblical or any other sacred texts. By and large, this is the doctrine of the interpretation of texts, most often ancient ones, which formed the basis of a particular religion. The peculiarity of these texts is that their original meaning is usually not obvious due to large quantity years that have passed since they were written, and incomplete preservation.
Definition of the term
Exegesis is a science that deals with the grammatical study of text. It is also mandatory to study the historical realities in which the text was created. Often this helps to establish the true meaning of what is written. Psychological research is also being conducted.
Exegesis revealed to us another, more popular science - hermeneutics. Often these terms are mistakenly used as synonyms, but this is not true. Hermeneutics, unlike exegesis, deals with the interpretation of all types of communication - written, verbal, and non-verbal. Exegesis works exclusively with text.
Exegesis in Christianity
Biblical exegesis is very common. Many Christians interpret the Bible differently. Hence the division into Orthodox and Catholics, as well as the emergence of other branches from the main church - Reformism, Anglicanism. But still, basically all interpretations of Holy Scripture come down to only two concepts.
According to the first, the Bible itself is the revelation of God. The one who wrote it was inspired from above. As a consequence, exegesis must look for a double meaning in each text, deeper and not always clearly expressed.
There is another point of view. So-called rational exegesis is the doctrine that proceeds from the conclusion that the authors of the Bible were ordinary people. So the meaning of what is written in it must be sought among the realities of the era when the text was created. And also from the characteristics of the properties and individual characters of the people who created these texts.
Commentary on the Holy Scriptures
The most common type of exegesis for Christianity is commentary on the Bible. As a rule, they are a multi-volume work that is more reminiscent of an encyclopedia than an explanation of the main book of one of the world's religions.
Each volume of these commentaries is devoted to one or more biblical books. Until the 20th century, commentaries were created and interpreted by one author; he meticulously and in detail described his ideas about the sacred texts. These days, such commentaries are created by a group of authors, each of whom has to analyze one of the books.
The commentaries differ from one another in the way they interpret individual biblical books. This usually depends on the denomination that the author adheres to. They are also distinguished by their accuracy, depth, and strength of critical and theological thought.
In Catholicism there are even special centers, in which the exegesis of Holy Scripture is the main activity of their members. In the Protestant tradition, the interpretation of the Bible is carried out in universities. Most scientists in this field work in the USA and Germany.
Works on exegesis
Among the Orthodox, the main work is considered to be the one authored by Andrei Desnitsky, “Introduction to Biblical Exegesis.”
In this work, he tries to bring to a common denominator the various ideas about the sacred texts that exist in all kinds of theological schools and seminaries, and biblical circles. The idea to write such a work was born when Desnitsky was translating the Bible into other languages. It was then that he noticed that many perceive this book in completely different ways.
In all Orthodox educational institutions they study the text of the Bible in detail, but nowhere do they teach how to interpret it.
Originally it was supposed to be practical guide for Bible translators, however, Desnitsky realized in time that there are very few such specialists, so writing a book aimed at very small circle readers, inappropriate.
Therefore, the result is a manual for everyone who wants to know the true meaning of biblical texts as accurately as possible. After all, in in a broad sense, everyone who reads religious texts is engaged in translation, trying to explain to themselves what was put into certain words.
Exegesis of the New Testament is also very popular. Its author is Gordon Fee. With its help, spiritual students educational institutions and pastors can better understand the meaning of sermons. Get practical tips and guides.
Exegesis of the Old Testament attracted more ancient writers and thinkers. Works on this topic can be found in John Chrysostom, St. Augustine,
Exegesis in Judaism
Exegesis is extremely widespread in Judaism. There is even a term for this science - meforshim. Several literary works are devoted to the interpretation of sacred texts.
For example, the Mishnah. It is the earliest text in Judaism that includes the main religious tenets of the orthodox branch of that faith. The Mishnah includes the Oral Law, which, according to legend, was transmitted by Moses on Mount Sinai. Over time, serious fears arose that the oral teaching would be forgotten and disappear from the memory of the people, so it was decided to write it down.
There are numerous commentaries on the Mishnah, which form the basis of Jewish exegesis. The most popular ones were written by the traveler and rabbi Rabbi Ovadiah, who lived in the 15th century. It is also called Bartonura or Bertinura. In his writings, he described all the treatises included in the Mishnah, attempting to give a detailed and comprehensive interpretation of each of them.
Talmud
It even came from here special verb, which is extremely common in Judaism - "darash". It means the search for a special sacred meaning in a sacred text, the desire to master the knowledge that its authors put into the text many centuries ago.
Exegesis in Hinduism
Exegesis is also widespread in Hinduism. There is even a special philosophical school for the interpretation of Hindu sacred texts - Mimamsa. Exegesis in philosophy is an opportunity for Hindus to study their sacred texts. It was Mimamsa that served as a serious impetus for the development of Ancient India philosophy and philology.
A major role in this belongs to the Sanskrit author Bhartrihari, who lived around the 5th century AD. His teaching is based on the idea that sound and the meaning it carries are inextricably linked.
His main works are a work on Sanskrit grammar and linguistic philosophy, as well as a collection of Sanskrit poetry. They became the basis for the development scientific works in this part of Asia.
Exegesis in Islam
Exegesis is also widespread in Islam. The most famous and complete commentaries on the Koran are collected in collections called tafsir. Their authors, who comment and interpret the holy book for Muslims, are called mufassirs.
In tafsir you will not find mystical or esoteric interpretations of Muslim texts. The authors strive to provide a deeper and more complete understanding of the Qur'an. Thus, the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (that is, legends about his speeches and actions that guide Muslims today in everyday life) claim that the Quran contains much more meaning than it seems at first glance. Moreover, there are seven levels of understanding of the holy book.
IN modern world There are Islamic sects that strictly prohibit esoteric interpretations of the Koran, trying not to reveal the double meanings of the texts.
Principles of Exegesis
Exegesis is based on several fundamental principles.
This is the belief that the author was inspired to create the sacred text by God himself, the idea of religious literature as an integral part of church sacred tradition, the unity of knowledge of the sacred book and gaining spiritual experience.
According to exegesis, understanding is achieved by the grammatical study of language, the study of historical realities and the discovery of hints, the meaning of which has become incomprehensible over time; concrete psychological research and consideration of the laws of the form of the work.
Exegesis served as the main source of hermeneutics (ancient Greek. ἑρμηνευτική , from ἑρμηνεύω - I explain, I interpret). Despite the fact that these terms are sometimes used as synonyms, the concept of hermeneutics is much broader; if exegesis is exclusively the interpretation of texts, then hermeneutics includes the interpretation of all types of communication, written, verbal and non-verbal.
Christianity
There are many different views among Christians regarding the interpretation of the Bible. Basically they come down to two main concepts:
- Revelation exegesis proceeds from the premise that the texts of Holy Scripture are revealed and their authors were inspired by God himself. Therefore, exegesis must proceed from the fact that behind what is directly written there is hidden an additional deeper and not always clearly expressed meaning, which should be discovered.
- Rational exegesis proceeds from the premise that the authors of the Holy Scriptures were inspired writers, and the meaning of what was said in the Holy Scriptures should be sought in the realities of that era and the study of the personal properties and characters of the authors of the texts.
Bible Commentaries
The most popular form of biblical exegesis is Bible commentary. They are usually published in multiple volumes, like an encyclopedia, with each volume devoted to one or two books of the Bible, and they interpret the books in the same order as they appear in the Bible. Each commentary usually consists of an introduction followed by detailed analysis text. Until the beginning of the 20th century, commentaries were usually written by one author, who presented in detail his view of the Holy Scriptures. Nowadays it is usually practiced to write commentaries on the Bible by a team of authors, where each one gives a commentary on individual books. Commentaries usually differ in the way they interpret, in particular, authors belonging to different denominations comment on the Bible in different ways; Commentaries also vary in depth, accuracy, and strength of theological and critical thought.
In the Catholic tradition there are special centers of biblical exegesis: Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem and Pontificio Istituto Biblico in Rome .
Protestant exegesis is taught at universities, mainly in Germany and the USA.
Judaism
Traditional exegesis in Judaism is represented by rabbinic literature, which includes the Mishnah, two Talmuds, and the Midrash. In Judaism, exegesis is called mefarshim(Hebrew: מפרשים ), which means commentators.
Mishnah
Talmud
The Mishnah soon became the subject of interpretation itself. This was done by the amoraim (explainers) simultaneously in Palestine and Babylonia, therefore there are two Talmuds - the Jerusalem Talmud ( Talmud Yerushalmi) and Babylonian Talmud ( Talmud Bavli).
Midrash
Midrash is a homiletical method of exegesis, a collection of commentaries on the Tanakh, an interpretation of the paragraphs of the Pentateuch of Moses relating to Jewish law. The Midrash is divided into two large sections, the body of legal and ritual laws called Halacha, which is the exegesis of the written law of the Torah, and the non-legislative Haggadah, the exegesis of those passages of the Torah that are not related to the laws of Judaism, but are cautionary tales for all occasions.
In halachic and aggadic interpretations, the interpreter strives not so much to look for the original meaning of the text, but rather to find confirmation in the Bible of his own concepts and ideas, rules of behavior and teaching, for which he would like to find biblical foundations. This was facilitated, on the one hand, by the belief that the words of the Bible are polysemantic, and, on the other hand, the slightest features of the text were subject to serious interpretation. Because of this, the Midrash's interpretations deviated further and further from the original meaning of the scripture.
Tannai
The Tannaite interpretation distinguishes two different approaches to exegesis, the first characterized by finding theses from the Bible as a means of proving one's point of view, the second by using passages from the Bible that serve as mnemonics - these two uses of the biblical text were later practiced in the Babylonian school.
Amorai
The Babylonian Amoraim were the first to use the expression pshat (simple) to denote the primary meaning of scripture, as opposed to drash, the deeper meaning revealed by the interpreters. These two levels became later important features in the history of Jewish interpretation of the Bible. In Babylonia the important principle was formulated that midrashic interpretation cannot override the original meaning. This principle later became the watchword for common sense interpretation of the Bible.
Masoretes
In the seventh century, the Masoretes devoted themselves to preserving the original meaning of the scriptures, adding vowels and punctuation for the correct reading of the text, on the one hand they contributed to the preservation of the original meaning, on the other hand they gave birth to a new branch of exegesis that interprets their innovations.
Jewish exegesis did not end with the writing of the Talmud and continued throughout the centuries in various centers of scriptural study throughout the world. Before today The study and interpretation of the Tanakh continues, and exegesis is considered important for understanding the meaning of scripture.
Indian philosophy
Mimamsa is a school Indian philosophy, also called Purva Mimamsa, seriously engaged in the exegesis of ancient Indian texts, it gave a serious impetus to the development of philology and philosophy of language. Bhartrihari's works expound the doctrine of the inextricable connection between sound and its meaning (signifying and signified).
BIBLE EXEGESIS. The term "exegesis" comes from Greek word exegesis (literally “deduction”), which over time received a special meaning “clarification”, or “interpretation”. This usage is already attested for Greek language classical era. Exegesis is both a science and an art, and its object can be both sacred and secular texts. Along with interpretations of Platonic, Homeric or Shakespearean texts, there is also biblical exegesis; in all cases, the task of the exegete is to reveal as accurately and completely as possible the meaning invested in the text by its author.
The Jewish tradition of interpreting Scripture goes back at least to the era of Ezra. The Torah (the Law of Moses) required a certain interpretation, which led to the emergence of a special class of “scribes” - teachers and interpreters of the Law. However, such an important task could not be carried out solely by the skill or talent of individual interpreters, so over time formal principles and rules of interpretation were developed and schools of exegesis arose. During the era of Jesus Christ, the most influential interpreters of the Torah were the Pharisees, and their interpretation of the Law, which received final expression in the Mishnah, received normative status in Judaism. Philo of Alexandria, heavily influenced by the Greek philosophical and cultural tradition, developed a sophisticated method of allegorical biblical exegesis designed to demonstrate that all the writings of the Old Testament have not only a literal, but also a deeper, “spiritual” meaning that does not contradict the ideas of Greek philosophy.
Philo influenced two great Christian teachers, Clement of Alexandria and Origen, founders of the Alexandrian school of exegesis. Origen's method of allegorical exegesis was based on the traditional Christian teaching that Old Testament revealed in the New Testament. Another Christian exegetical school, the Antiochian one, criticized the Alexandrian allegorosis, which saw symbolic references to Christ in every verse of the Old Testament Scriptures. However, despite the justification of such criticism, both schools proceeded from the traditional view that the Old Testament prophetically prepared the coming of Christ and that therefore the Old Testament texts should receive new understanding.
Recent research has made it possible to fully appreciate the significance of medieval exegesis of the Holy Scriptures, especially the exegesis of the Saint-Victorian school. Hugh of Saint-Victor believed that the “literal” meaning must always underlie the “spiritual” meaning. Another representative of the same school, Andrew of Saint-Victor, focused almost exclusively on understanding the “literal” meaning of the Bible. Thomas Aquinas, having made a strict distinction between the “literal” and “spiritual” meanings of Scripture, insisted on the independent value and importance of the “literal” meaning first of all. During the era of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, a significant number of exegetical works appeared, both Protestant and Catholic.
However, only at the beginning of the 19th century. biblical exegesis emerges as a scientific discipline. Its heyday was due to the rapid development of biblical archaeology, philology, historical science, textual criticism and literary analysis, the results and achievements of which were taken into account by biblical exegesis. At the same time, modern exegetes faced sharp criticism from certain circles who considered unacceptable such an interpretation of biblical texts, which actually neglected the actual theological content of divine Revelation. Both in the Protestant, and in the Catholic, and in the Jewish environment, an opinion was expressed about the urgent need for such an exegesis of Holy Scripture, which would be theological and at the same time strictly scientific. Currently, most researchers agree that the tasks of biblical exegesis are not limited to historical and critical analysis, since biblical texts have theological content and are imbued with a religious spirit, which implies their perception from a religious point of view.
Contemporary approaches to the methods and goals of biblical exegesis show significant similarities. Everyone admits important role textual criticism, which makes it possible to reconstruct a reliable text, as well as the need to take into account the purely literary forms of a particular biblical book (or a separate fragment). All modern exegetes can agree with Pope Pius XII, who in his encyclical Divino afflante Spiritu(1943) pointed out that “the interpreter of the Bible needs to mentally travel back to the distant era of Eastern history and, with the help of historical science, archeology, ethnography and other sciences, accurately determine which literary forms the ancient authors wanted to use and which they actually used.” In other words, a modern biblical exegete is obliged to use all scientific tools in his work in order to, if possible, understand the meaning that the biblical authors themselves put into their texts. Moreover, Christian exegetes agree that the Old and New Testaments must be considered in their interrelation.
see also BIBLE.