Exegetical paper explanation
What is an exegetical paper?
An exegetical paper is an in-depth look into one passage of scripture, usually broken into a passage by the
translators of your Bible for you! The word exegesis itself means an explanation, exposition or, more simply, a
critical interpretation of a particular text, and this is the meaning we give it here: a critical examination of one
specific part of scripture that interests you and you would like to find out more about. Perhaps it’s a confusing or
controversial passage that has always baffled you, or a very important section of the Christian story that you’ve
always wanted to look deeper into. At any rate, this is the opportunity to learn what a truly ‘close-reading’ of a text
looks like. This is also an assignment that will build your ability to read texts carefully and to engage them
thoughtfully.
A standard outline for this type of paper follows below, after which come several examples of students’ exegetical
papers. Be sure, as you work through your own ideas, to follow the outline exactly, making sections based on the
outline and answering the questions as you go. For this reason, there is no page limit to the paper—you must only
fill-in the outline below with your own research. Make sure, however, to be very thorough in giving your answers
and be sure to imitate, at least in part, the sample exegetical paper so that you might more fully understand why this
process is so important and where it can lead you in your ability to think critically on a certain text.
Please note the following: the exegetical paper will require at least 4 sources, all of which may easily be obtained in
the reference section of the library or in my classroom. All works used should be cited. Ask in the library for any
assistance or further information on where to locate the proper resources. You may only use websites approved and
on the list on the class website. All other websites must be cleared with me first. Last second website additions will
not be counted as legitimate sources.
Papers are to be done according to MLA style, though the one exception is that they may be single spaced to save
paper. Parenthetical citations must follow every quote or borrowing of an idea (Ostendorf 23). As I’ve said before,
“Even if it’s a quote, it must be cited according to MLA style” (Ostendorf 49). This shows how you must use the
author’s last name and the page number of where you found that information. The rest of the book information goes
in the Works Cited page. Look at the sample papers in this binder for more information regarding how this should
be done. Please note that you cannot use this course packet as a source for your paper.
Please try to use the copy machine in the library as little as possible! Mrs. Anders showed you how to save articles
on Google Drive. Take notes on what you read and refer to those instead of making copies to take home. This
assignment does not require copying if time is managed well.
Standard Outline for an Exegetical Paper
I.
Quote and cite the passage in full
a. Where is the passage from in the Bible?
b. What translation have you quoted? The “Catholic Youth Bible” is not a translation. If this is your
bible, it is either NRSV or NAB.
II. Outline of passage
a. Where are the significant/natural breaks in the passage? There may be some, or there may not be
any in your particular passage. It is up to you to figure out where these occur and what they tell us
about the passage as a whole. Some commentaries may tell you about the breaks and transitions
too, so please consult them before asking.
b. What does the outline itself tell us about the passage? Some outlines will help the reader
understand something important about the passage, and this usually varies greatly from passage to
passage. Yours may have little to say about the structure of the verses, though some will have
more. This is also the section where you should summarize your passage in your own words
giving an account of it in simplistic terms that try not to interpret it too much, but simply to tell the
literal details of the action taking place, or what it is saying directly.
III. Words and Sentences
a. Compare and contrast differences in translations. This section is intended to look at, at least, 2-3
different translations of the Bible for your passage and to talk about the differences in word choice
and explain more fully what these differences might mean. Some good ones to consult are the
NAB, NRSV, NIV, KJV, JB, and others. Please, whenever you mention a word from your
passage, be sure to place it in quotes so that the reader can tell what word you are talking about
(e.g. the word “enemy” (NRSV) could also be translated as “adversary” (KJV) or “one opposed”
(NIV) in this passage, etc).
c. Key word/concept study and comparison with other usages. Here you should explore the key
words, or concepts/themes, and what they mean theologically and biblically, not just according to
a dictionary. Biblical words often mean something other than what they mean today. Relate these
key words to the main ideas within the passage as well. Searching for these key words is eased by
biblical dictionaries, commentaries, encyclopedias and many other sources which often contain
information you might need. Finding which words are key is ultimately up to you, though most
commentaries will mention them and give you some guidance.
IV. Form and Style
a. What is the style of this passage? It could be a letter, a prophecy, history, apocalyptic, wisdom,
etc? Please talk about what this means and how this style affect how we understand the passage as
a whole.
b. Context of passage in relation to what’s immediately before and after it in the text. Here you need
to try and understand the passage in relation to the other stories around it, often in the chapters
immediately preceding and following it. No passage stands on its own completely. This is where
you learn the context and comment upon how it helps understand the main passage you are
studying. This is often a very important section to comment on. The easiest way to do this is
simply to read the chapters surrounding your passage.
c. Parallel passages in other texts, biblical and extra-biblical, comparison and contrast. Find the
other parts of scripture that relate to your passage and talk about the differences between all of
them. This includes passages that contain a similar theme/topic as yours. Then relate these
passage to the meaning of the main one being studied by you. Commentaries and dictionaries can
be helpful, but so can the footnotes in the NAB translation which you should be sure to consult.
d. Sources for this passage. Where did this text come from? Was it borrowed/copied from another
source? Was the author influenced by another writing? Make sure to mention any significance
this might have if so. Essentially, this is where you talk about an earlier biblical passage that
yours was modeled after, if one exists, though there are many where this does not apply.
Commentaries will often indicate this to you.
V. Historical and Social influences
a. Who is the author of the text? Why is this important to know and explain, briefly, who this was as
well. Biblical dictionaries and the New Catholic Encyclopedia are often your best sources for this
section. If you can use this information to help the reader understand your passage better, please
do so as well.
b. When was it written, or what is the date? This may help to greatly illuminate what your passage
means for that time period in general. Be sure to talk about why this date is important to know
and what that says about how we should understand it today. Commentaries and dictionaries are
great sources for this information.
c. Under what circumstances was it written? What was going on historically at the time of its
writing? This information is also helpful in discerning what was occurring at the time and how
that affects the reading of your passage.
d. Why is the author writing? In essence, what intention do they have to write these words and how
does this help us understand was is being said?
e. Who is the audience of the text? A very important question that often allows us to understand
some other key components of the passage. Answer any secondary questions as well, such as:
what does this mean? Or, why write to this audience in the first place?
f. What is the audience’s relation to the author? If there is one you can discern, then talk about it
and why it should matter to the reader.
g. What kind of culture was present in this world? What is it’s affect on the passage? Make sure to
inspect the historical culture of that time as it relates to your passage. Do separate research on this
topic, for it is one of the most important parts of your paper. For example, a paper on women’s
roles at this time would need to look up information on how women were seen and briefly
summarize some of the findings and how they then relate to your passage of scripture.
Dictionaries, commentaries and other sources on culture/society at the time need to be heavily
consulted. Do not assume that you know the culture! Research and cite sources heavily here.
h. Any other cultural/historical issues of note? Take the time here to carefully scrutinize your
passage and figure out what other cultural/historical issues would be of significance in order to
best describe your passage. Section g. is so important that it is here expanded into a separate
section in case you have too much information for one section alone.
VI. Theological significance of passage
a. Meaning of passage to original audience. How would the original audience, in that time period
when it was originally written, have heard this message in full? Draw on what you have already
said in your paper (e.g. on key words, culture, etc) to give a full explanation for how the earliest
audience would’ve understood what this passage was saying to them. Take your time here and do
a thorough job of explaining this matter.
b. Connection to our world/church today. How do we hear this passage today? What does it tell us
that we need to listen to in our world? For example, what does this tell us about God, or human’s
relation to God, or sin, or a theological point made more clear by this passage, etc. This is where
you take careful notice of how the message changes over time and how it also relates to our world
and what we are going through. This is your chance to make this paper real and meaningful, so
pay attention to the details and bring them into the light.
c. Summary and other important theological implications. Make this section your conclusion to the
entire paper, summarizing the main points and bringing the theological significance together with
all the other information you’ve gathered above. You need to be illustrating to the reader why this
passage was important enough to study this in-depth, so make sure to bring everything of
relevance into this section as you conclude your work here. This should be a large and important
section to your paper. This should be at least 2-3 pages worth.