Word of the Day

Sunday, August 11, 2002

exegete

\EK-suh-jeet\ , noun;

A person who explains or interprets difficult parts of written works.

Quotes:

All the things said in this passage are clear and should be paid attention to, without an exegete interpreting.

-- Galen, "Commentary on Hippocrates", On the Nature of Man

He is far more a man of prayer, a witness, a confessor and a prophet, than a learned exegete and close thinking scholastic.

-- Adolf Deissmann, Paul, A Study in Social and Religious History

Origin:

exegete is from Greek exegetes, from the verb exegeisthai, "to interpret," and is related to exegesis.