Exegesis and Hermeneutics

1. Exegesis and Hermeneutics
A Brief Comparison
By Karla J. Franko
Religion 100
Crafton Hills College

2. Exegesis
Term = Definition i.e. Function Essence
Exegesis = To
Translate
To
Draw
Out
What
the
Text
Says

3. Hermeneutics
Term = Definition i.e. Function Essence
Hermeneutics = To
Interpret
To
Read
Into
What
the
Text
Means

4. Example:
“It’s raining cats and dogs”
• Exegetical Translation:
Cats and puppies are
falling from the sky.
(The translation process
is not designed to give
meaning but merely to
give a word for word
translation…it is a literal
rendering of the
phrase.)
• Hermeneutical
Interpretation:
Its pouring outside!
(Often translations get
confused with
interpretations.
Sometimes a translation
is taken literally, without
consulting cultural
context and/or
colloquialism. )
Compiled by Karla J. Franko, 2014