Is Nehemiah 8:1-3 a biblical example of age segregation because only those “who could hear with understanding” were present at the meeting? Many claim this verse as a description of “Nehemiah’s nursery.”

Let's look carefully at how the text reads,

“Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.”

I’ll cut to the chase to explain what I believe Nehemiah was referring to. We are not explicitly told what the phrase meant, but the internal evidence from the book of Nehemiah itself seems to point to the fact that some of the people Jerusalem could not understand Hebrew – to their shame. The discipleship of the people was difficult, because, “half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod.” (Nehemiah 13:24). But below is a more elaborate discussion of the matter which sheds light on the proposition that Nehemiah had some kind of a nursery or had removed the little ones.

The argument for age segregation from this text rests on what might be implied by the six words “all who could hear with understanding.” We should ask several key questions in order to understand the meaning of this passage more fully.

First, how does the text describe the nature of this gathering? It says that this was a large and explicitly gender and age-integrated gathering. At minimum, it stands as an example of a significant level of age integration, including adults, youth, and children.

The phrase, “all who could hear with understanding” is far more inclusive in meaning than it is exclusive. Mervin Breneman writes:

“Men and women and all who were able to understand” involved the entire community, including young people and children. The Jews became known as “the people of the book.” The Old Testament emphasizes that God’s Word is to be known and used by all the people, not only the priests and leaders. Early Christians adopted this same principle. This changed as time went on as fewer and fewer people had access to the Bible. The Protestant Reformation, with its emphasis on sola scriptura (on the Bible as the sole authority for faith and practice) returned to the biblical principle that every believer should read Scripture as God’s Word for their lives."

If we heed the testimony of Paul, we can conclude that children were included in this phrase. Paul gives instruction directly to children (Ephesians 6:1-3), clearly implying that they have some degree of cognitive ability to understand the preaching of the Word. Further, the text in Nehemiah states that men and women (the adults) were there. This would presumably mean that those “who could hear with understanding” were children.

Second, does the text say anyone was excluded? The language does not demand the removal of certain age groups, and verse 1 seems to dispel the argument that any person or group of persons was deliberately excluded. Nehemiah never says this is what happened; his observation only refers to those who were present for the hearing of the Word. It refers to those who voluntarily came and heard, not those who were excluded. Nevertheless, people consistently approach this text assuming exclusion.

Third, what categories of people are identified who did not come to hear? Neither children nor young people are ever mentioned. To dogmatically maintain that those who could not hear with understanding were only children goes beyond the text. 

Fourth, what does it mean to hear with understanding? The word used for hear in Nehemiah 8:2 is shâma’. This word is used both for physical hearing and the cognitive ability to understand something. But the thrust may include those who spoke a different language and thus could not hear with understanding. Nehemiah 13:24, suggests that - lamentably - half the children could not hear because they spoke the language of Ashdod. This is most likely the correct explanation. Further, Shâma’ is the same word used to describe the lack of ability to understand which took place at the Tower of Babel: “Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand [shâma’] one another’s speech” (Genesis 11:7). The elderly that have gone deaf and those who were mentally handicapped may also be included with those who could not hear with understanding. If this text is used to drive youth from our church services, then it can be used to drive anyone else who cannot hear with understanding out of our services as well.

For these reasons, Nehemiah 8:3 cannot be used as a proof text for age segregation as it is practiced today. Rather, this passage is an example of a generally age-integrated gathering with the most likely segregation being one of comprehension, among those who could not understand the language.

Matthew Henry writes:

"The persons that met were all the people, who were not compelled to come, but voluntarily gathered themselves together by common agreement, as one man: not only men came, but women and children, even as many as were capable of understanding what they heard. Masters of families should bring their families with them to the public worship of God. Women and children have souls to save, and are therefore concerned to acquaint themselves with the word of God and attend on the means of knowledge and grace. Little ones, as they come to the exercise of reason, must be trained up in the exercises of religion."

1 Mervin Breneman, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther; The New American Commentary, Vol. 10 (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001), 224.