Exegesis

Definition and Meaning

The Korean term juhae (註解) means to explain the meaning of a text. In theology it is used to translate the English word exegesis. Exegesis derives from a Greek verb meaning "to lead out, to explain," and conveys the idea of drawing meaning out of the text. By contrast, reading one's own ideas into the text is called eisegesis and is regarded as something to guard against.

Exegesis examines the text in its original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek), its vocabulary and grammar, the historical situation of the author and the first readers, and the surrounding context. It is common to distinguish hermeneutics, the discipline concerned with the principles and methods of interpretation, from exegesis, the work of applying those principles to actual texts. In Korean churches, juhae is used almost interchangeably with juseok (註釋, "commentary"). A book that collects exegetical work on a particular book of the Bible is called a commentary.

Biblical and Historical Background

Nehemiah 8:8 describes a scene in which the book of the law was read aloud and its meaning explained so that the people understood. In Luke 24:27, Jesus expounded from Moses and the prophets the things concerning himself. In Acts 8:30–35, Philip explained a passage from Isaiah to the Ethiopian eunuch. In John 1:18, the phrase "he hath declared him" uses a verb that shares the same root as exegesis.

In the early church, two contrasting approaches can be distinguished. The Alexandrian school emphasized allegorical interpretation, which sought a spiritual meaning behind the text by reading it as figuratively pointing to something else, while the Antiochene school emphasized the literal and historical meaning. During the Reformation, Martin Luther and John Calvin gave priority to the literal and grammatical sense of the text and stressed the principle that "Scripture interprets Scripture." Calvin wrote commentaries on most of the books of the Bible. In the modern era, the historical-critical method arose, which investigates historically how texts came to be formed, and debate continues over how far this method should be accepted.

Practice in the Korean Church

At theological seminaries, courses in the biblical languages and exegesis are taught as fundamentals of pastoral training. Sermon preparation is commonly described as beginning with exegesis of the text and then proceeding to exposition and application. Park Yune-sun is known as the first Korean to publish a commentary covering the entire Old and New Testaments, and a number of foreign commentary series have since been translated and are in use.

Emphases differ by denomination and seminary. Denominations in the Reformed tradition, such as the Hapdong, Kosin, and Hapshin Presbyterian churches, tend to emphasize grammatical-historical exegesis premised on biblical inerrancy. Seminaries associated with the Tonghap Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea, and the Korean Methodist Church are known to engage relatively more broadly with the findings of historical-critical scholarship. Pentecostal and Holiness traditions tend to emphasize, alongside grammatical exegesis, understanding that comes through the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Church members also frequently consult commentaries to examine the background and meaning of a passage during quiet time or Bible study.