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Exegetical Papers: Introduction & Overview

Overview

Be certain that you fully understand your professor’s instructions for your paper (often an exegesis of a text), since there is room in the process for individual variations. Needless to say, always follow your instructor's requirements and advice!

The typical steps involved in doing exegetical work can include the following:

  • Establish or orient the context of the pericope in the Biblical book as a whole
  • Examine the historical context or setting
  • Analyze the text.  This can involve literary, textual, grammatical, and/or lexical analysis
  • Critical analysis: employing various critical methods to ask questions of the texts
  • Theological analysis
  • Your analysis and/or application

Writing & Exegesis

Biblical Studies & Exegetical Helps

What's on this page?

 

Although your professor may have specific instructions that differ from what this guide presents, here are the basic steps common to most exegesis papers. You may go step-by-step, or jump to the topic of interest to you.

1. Choose a Passage

2. Examine the Historical, Cultural, and Literary Background

3. Perform Exegesis of Each Verse

4. Offer an Overall Interpretation

5. Provide an Application of the Passage

There is an additional thing you need to consider:

* Document Your Sources Correctly (See Citing Materials tab above).

First, Choose a Passage.

 

A pericope comes from the Greek language, meaning, "a cutting-out".  It is a set of verses that forms one coherent unit or thought, thus forming a short passage suitable for public reading from a text, that usually refers to sacred scripture.

Pronunciation

Cambridge Companion Guides

Oldest Relatively Complete Manuscript of the Bible

Biblical Studies Organizations

Other Research Guides that May Help You

Online Sources

 

The Bible Gateway is a tool for reading and researching scripture online -- all in the language or translation of your choice! 

 

Bibles and Added Resources