Abstract: The two functional elements of Confucian exegesis are “addressing language barriers” and “explaining ideas of argumentation”.The Han study of The Book of Odes represented by Mao Zhuan integrates argumentation into word exegesis, which belongs to the mode of “unity”, while the Song study of The Book of Odes represented by Zhu Xi's Shi Jizhuan tends to separate the function of explaining argumentation from word exegesis, leaving it to the other modules, which belongs to the mode of “separation”.The internal reason for this lies in the different emphases on the textual context and the cultural context.The Qing scholars have further developed the mode of “separation”, laying a solid foundation for the creation of Zhang Taiyan's “the study of Chinese language and characters”.

Key words: Confucian exegesis, the study of The Book of Odes, the differences between the studies in the Han and Song Dynasties, “unity”, “separation”