An Eisegesis vs Exegesis

This is an excerpt from a previous podcast on the woman at the well. An eisegesis vs exegesis, or, an eisegetical false teaching vs an exegetical teaching.

In review, an eisegesis (or eisegetical) teaching of God’s Word is to ‘lean into’ the Text or reading meaning into a Biblical Text. Whereas the preacher or teacher gives his opinions, telling his listeners what he believes the Scriptures are saying. But an exegesis (or exegetical) teaching of God’s Word is to ‘lean from’ the Text or drawing out the meaning that is already there. Whereas the teacher says what God is saying via His Word. And we use the Scriptures to interpret Scripture with the disciplines of proper hermeneutics and Textual criticism.

The Nelson’s Bible dictionary further explains both here.

“The problem is our bias, or our subjectivity. Many times we approach a passage thinking we already understand it. In the process we read our own meaning into the passage. This is called eisegesis. (Eis is a Greek preposition meaning “into.”) But interpreting the Bible correctly demands that we listen to what the text itself is saying, and then draw the meaning out of the passage. This is called exegesis. (Ex is a Greek preposition meaning “out of.”) If we let a passage be defined by what it and the surrounding verses say, then we have taken a large step toward interpreting the Bible properly. Only by watching the context carefully and by letting the passage speak for itself do we give Scripture the respect it deserves.”

Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison, Thomas Nelson Publishers, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995).