The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Exegesis \Ex`e*ge"sis\, n.; pl. Exegeses. [NL., fr.Gr. ?,fr. ?
   to explain, interpret; ? out + ? to guide, lead, akin, to ?
   to lead. See Agent.]
   1. Exposition; explanation; especially, a critical
      explanation of a text or portion of Scripture.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. (Math.) The process of finding the roots of an equation.
      [Obs.]
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

exegesis
    n 1: an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of
         the Bible)

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

40 Moby Thesaurus words for "exegesis":
   allegorization, annotation, apparatus criticus, clarification,
   comment, commentary, commentation, construction, cracking,
   decipherment, decoding, demonstration, demythologization, editing,
   elucidation, emendation, enlightenment, euhemerism,
   exemplification, explanation, explication, expose, exposition,
   expounding, footnote, gloss, illumination, illustration,
   interpretation, light, notation, note, note of explanation,
   rationale, reason, scholium, simplification, solution, unlocking,
   word of explanation