A detailed description of a public service is revealing.
So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to th e ground. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading (Nehemiah 8:2-8 cf. Nehemiah 9:4-5).
There are multiple readers in this scene, first Ezra, and then his helpers. “They” read from the book and give its meaning. Can women learn to read? Certainly. Are women capable of reading aloud? Certainly. Are women capable of “helping the people to understand” the reading? Certainly. Then, with so many people at work in this service, other questions naturally follow:
- Where are the female names among the twenty-seven leaders at this event?
- Why do all the leaders appear to be men?
Since women are capable, could the answer be a spiritual one related to the context? This is a public gathering. It has to do with the Law of God. The Law itself sets the divine precedent that men take the public lead. They are restoring that Law in their lives, in this case, in their public readings.