A historical survey and a critical evaluation of the Buddhist exegetical traditions developed within the Theravāda tradition. Attention will be focused on the canonical antecedents of Buddhist exegesis, Buddhist hermeneutics of the Netti and Peṭakopadesa, methods of doctrinal exposition in the Pāli Aṭṭhakathās and Ṭīkās, and doctrinal developments through commentarial interpretations.