Meaning & use
exegete
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Meaning
nouncountableformalspecialist
A scholar who carefully analyzes and explains what a written text means, especially a religious one.
Grammar: Countable: one exegete, two exegetes; often followed by of: an exegete of Paul's letters.
Patterns
- an exegete of something
- a biblical exegete
- a skilled exegete
The seminar was led by a renowned exegete of the Hebrew Bible.
As an exegete, she spends months on a single chapter, tracing every allusion.
Modern exegetes often compare ancient manuscripts before offering an interpretation.
Word forms
| plural | exegetes |
|---|
Common combinations
- a biblical exegete
- The conference brought together biblical exegetes from several countries.
- an exegete of the Quran
- He is best known as an exegete of the Quran.
- a careful exegete
- A careful exegete notices changes in verb tense that others overlook.
- patristic exegete
- Patristic exegetes read the text with one eye on church tradition.
Synonyms and how they differ
- interpreter
- Broader and more everyday; use it when the person explains any kind of text or speech, not only scripture.
- commentator
- Suggests someone who writes running notes on a text; an exegete stresses systematic analysis of meaning.
- scholar
- Much wider: a scholar may study history or language, while an exegete specifically interprets texts.
Word family
- exegesis noun
- The careful, scholarly interpretation of a text.
- exegetical adjective
- Relating to the interpretation of texts, as in exegetical method.
- eisegesis noun
- Reading your own ideas into a text rather than drawing out its meaning.
Commonly confused: exegete or exegesis? exegete or apologist?
exegete vs exegesis
Exegesis is the activity or the written interpretation; an exegete is the person who does it.
exegete vs apologist
An apologist defends a belief; an exegete explains what a text means, whether or not they are defending it.
Practice
A scholar who systematically explains the meaning of a scriptural text is called an ______.
Choose one answer.
'Exegete' is the person, so it fits after 'an'. 'Exegesis' is the activity or the study itself, 'exegetical' is an adjective, and 'eisegesis' means reading your own ideas into a text.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “exegete”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.