This word is used six times in the Greek New Testament. Once by the apostle John in his Gospel (John 1:18) and five times by Luke (Luke 24:35; Acts 10:8; 15:12,14; 21:19). Our study is from John's usage of the term where he stated, "No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him" (John 1:18). In this text the verb εχηγησατο translated "declared" is the first aorist middle indicative of εχηγεομαι (Strong's #1834), from the preposition εκ (Strong's #1537), "forth, out of," and the verb ηγεομαι (Strong's #2233), "to lead the way, to go before," thus, literally "to lead the way forth or from out of; metaphorically, to fully explain." Robertson says the word means, "to lead out, to draw out in narrative, to recount."F1 Schrevelius affirms the definition is, "to lead out, go before, guide, explain, set forth, fully reveal, relate."F2 Vincent adds that it originally meant "to lead or govern," hence metaphorically it signifies, "to go before with words to prescribe or dictate a form of words; to relate in full; to interpret or translate."F3 Our English word "exegesis," is from the Greek εχηγησις, which means "exposition, narrative; explanation, interpretation: appropriated to things divine and excellent."F4 In Bible study, "exegesis" is the method in which we fully explain every detail of the text. The Greek's used the word εχηγητης, transliterated "exegetes," to describe an expounder, a wise man, an interpreter"F5 of oracles, dreams, omens, or sacred rites; thus, it came to be used in the sense of a spiritual director.F6 In the Greek Septuagint translation of the original Old Testament Hebrew the word εχηγητης is used of the magi of Pharaoh's court (Genesis 41:8,24), and the kindred verb εχηγησασθαι of teaching or interpreting concerning leprosy (Leviticus 14:57).F7
Therefore, the word translated "declared" in our text is a metaphor illustrating the idea of a Theologian standing in front of a classroom of student's intent on learning the Word of God and fully explaining in clear explicit detail the meaning of the divine text that is currently being studied. The teacher interprets the text for the students and makes it come alive by leading forth the truths hidden therein out from the text so all the students can clearly understand. See how much more vivid the original Scriptures are in illustrating the meaning of our text than our English word "declared"! Thus, the application the apostle wanted his audience to conclude is obvious. John's meaning of εχηγησατο translated "declared," is that Christ, led forth the Father into full revelation. Jesus uncovers or makes visible the divine glory of God by interpreting or fully explaining the Father to all. He is the embodiment of the Father, Who was with God in the beginning as the Word but manifested the glory of God by becoming flesh (John 1:1,14). Now He is our High Priest who as the Son of God through His incarnation and the sacrifice of Himself, has entered into the Most Holy Place once for all (Heb. 9:11-14) and led the Father out from behind veil of His invisibility into full view for all to see (John 1:18; 14:9; 15:9; Col. 1:15). Thus, John wants his readers to know that Jesus is the "exegesis" of God and through His incarnation all of the details of the Person of God the Father are clearly and fully explained or discovered so all can understand and know Him.F8
FOOTNOTES:
F1: Archibald Thomas Robertson, A.M., D.D.LL.D., Litt. D., Word Pictures in the New Testament, Vol. V (Michigan: Baker Book House, 1932), pg. 18.
F2: Rev. J.R. Major, M.A., Cornelius Schrevelius' Greek Lexicon (London: Baldwin and Cradock, Paternoster Row, 1831), pg. 204.
F3: M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, Vol. I (Florida: MacDonald Publishing Company), pg. 398.
F4: Rev. J.R. Major, M.A., Cornelius Schrevelius' Greek Lexicon (London: Baldwin and Cradock, Paternoster Row, 1831), pg. 204.
F5: Rev. J.R. Major, M.A., Cornelius Schrevelius' Greek Lexicon (London: Baldwin and Cradock, Paternoster Row, 1831), pg. 204.
F6: M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, Vol. I (Florida: MacDonald Publishing Company), pg. 398.
F7: M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, Vol. I (Florida: MacDonald Publishing Company), pg. 398.
F8: Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament, Vol. III (Michigan, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1973), pg. 86.
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Bill Klein has been a pastor, counselor, and educator for the past 41 years. He has had extensive training and education in biblical languages, and has authored a Biblical Greek course.
He is currently serving as Professor of Biblical Greek at Master's Graduate School of Divinity, and president of BTE Ministries - The Bible Translation and Exegesis Institute of America, a non-profit organization located in California that provides Bible study tapes and Greek study materials through their website BTEMinistries.org.