The opposite of exegesis is eisegesis. While exegesis refers to the critical interpretation and analysis of a text, particularly religious or literary, eisegesis involves interpreting a text by injecting one’s own ideas or biases into it, rather than drawing meaning from the text itself.
In simpler terms, exegesis seeks to pull out the original meaning that was intended by the author, while eisegesis imposes a personal interpretation on the text. This distinction is particularly important in theological studies, where understanding the original context and meaning is crucial to accurate interpretation.