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Nephilim

What are demons?

Seth Vandebrooke

• 16 min read
What are demons?

When most people think of demons they think of red creepy devils with horns and pitchforks or winged humanoid beings who fell from heaven and traded their beautiful glow for darkness. But that isn't how the Bible describes them. The Bible actually doesn't describe them visually at all. Even more surprising, it doesn't say they are fallen angels either. Although fallen angels do exist, it turns out demons are actually their progeny: the dead spirits of the giants who descended from the Nephilim (aka the Rephaim).

The Rephaim

רְפָאִים - rᵊp̄ā'îm - Strong's H7496 & H7497

The Rephaim were a tribe of giants first mentioned in Genesis 14:5.

Genesis 14:5-6
In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him came and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the Horites in their hill country of Seir as far as El-paran on the border of the wilderness.

Notice that the first reference to these Rephaim implies they have already existed for quite some time, enough to be counted among the other tribes of giants that have previously been mentioned as descendants of Ham son of Noah.

Deuteronomy 2:10-11 describes the Rephaim as a category, or type, of giant that the Anakim and the Emim are said to fit.

Deuteronomy 2:10-11
(The Emim formerly lived there, a people great and many, and tall as the Anakim. 11 Like the Anakim they are also counted as Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim.

This is an important connection because the Anakim are linked directly to the Nephilim in Numbers 13:33.

Numbers 13:33
And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”

In this way, the Rephaim (and many other tribes) can be traced back to the Nephilim (giants) from Genesis 6. The Rephaim are mentioned many other times in the Bible including Genesis 15, Deuteronomy 2 and 3, Joshua 12, 13, 15, 17, and 18, and many other passages. The Rephaim were well-known, feared, giants of the ancient world.

Shades / demons / departed spirits

The connection between the concept of Rephaim and demons is made in Isaiah 26:13-14, Isaiah 14:9, and Psalm 88:4-5,10 (Strong's H7496 & H7497 - rᵊp̄ā'îm).

Isaiah 26:13‭-‬14 ESV
O Lord our God, other Lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone we bring to remembrance. They are dead, they will not live; they are shades, they will not arise; to that end you have visited them with destruction and wiped out all remembrance of them.
Isaiah 26:13‭-‬14 NASB
Lord, our God, other masters besides You have ruled us; But through You alone we confess Your name. The dead will not live, the departed spirits will not rise; Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And You have eliminated all remembrance of them.

The word that is translated to "departed spirits" (NASB) and "shades" (ESV) is Rephaim.

Notice the term "shades". This term is actually commonly used in English translations to refer to demons. We see this again in Isaiah 14:9.

Isaiah 14:9 ESV
Sheol beneath is stirred upto meet you when you come;it rouses the shades to greet you,all who were leaders of the earth;it raises from their thronesall who were kings of the nations.
Isaiah 14:9 NASB
Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come;It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.

Again the actual Hebrew word for these terms in Rephaim. The translators are not failing at their occupation in these instances, they understood the meaning of this word and translated it in a reasonable manner. The spirits of the dead Rephaim were in fact "shades". This translation to the English word "shade" makes sense give that one of the words the Hebrews used for demons in the old testament is "shed" (שֵׁדִים shedim Strong's H7700 - šēḏ) which is actually pronounced "shade".

The word demon only shows up in the old testament twice. Deuteronomy and Psalms and both use the Hebrew word shedim.

Deuteronomy 32:17
They sacrificed to demons who were not God, To gods whom they have not known, New gods who came lately, Whom your fathers did not dread.
Psalm 106:37
They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons,

It's worth pointing out that the old testament never strictly uses the word demons because that is an English word that comes a Greek word. Dueteronomy 32 and Psalm 106 use the word Shedim (shades) and the English translators, understanding the concept, translated that as "demons".
This concept of departed spirits, shades, demons, and the Rephaim being the same thing is a theme in the old testament.

The evolution of their meaning

The word Rephaim is translated to departed spirits in another very interesting passage in Job.

Job 26:5-6
The [Rephaim] tremble
Under the waters and their inhabitants.
Naked is Sheol before Him,
And Abaddon has no covering.

This brilliant poetic pair of couplets is painting a picture of the giants, who were seen as a terrifying enemy, trembling under the waters of the flood. This passage uses the context of Sheol (hell) and Abaddon (place of destruction) this picture of judgement. If you are not already aware, Jude 6-7 and 2nd Peter 2:4-6 directly correlate the flood with the judgment of the Nephilim and their parents because of their dark sexual wickedness. It's fascinating that the word Rephaim would be used because the tribe of the Rephaim came after the flood. The reason why this actually does make sense is that the word Rephaim became a more generalized term over time.

Given that the word is associated with many types of giant people groups (Anakim, Emim, Zamzummin etc... read Genesis, Numbers and Deuteronomy) the concept of the evil spirits of the Rephaim is attributed to giants in general.

Deuteronomy 2:10-11
(The Emim lived there formerly, a people as great, numerous, and tall as the Anakim. Like the Anakim, they are also regarded as Rephaim, but the Moabites call them Emim.

This brings us back to Deuteronomy 2:10-11 where we see this people group called the Emim described as being as tall, great (or mighty), and numerous as the Anakim. Both the Emim and the Anakim are described as being "counted", or "regarded" depending on your translation, as Rephaim. This phrase is one of the first where the word Rephaim is used as a general term for giants.

In this same chapter, Deuteronomy 2, we see in verses 20 and 21 that the Rephaim are again related to the Anakim and are what the Zamzummin are considered to be.

Deuteronomy 2:20-21
(It is also regarded as the land of the Rephaim, for Rephaim formerly lived in it, but the Ammonites call them Zamzummin, a people as great, numerous, and tall as the Anakim, but the Lord destroyed them before them.

Much like the Emim were referred to as Rephaim, so too are the Zamzummin in this passage. Notice that again the Anakim are referenced as the staple for what seems to count as a giant, continuing the connections back to the Nephilim of Genesis 6.

That's not all though, we also see in the next chapter that king Og of Bashan was classified as one of the last Rephaim and he was also described as a giant.

Deuteronomy 3:11
(For only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bedstead was an iron bedstead; it is in Rabbah of the sons of Ammon. Its length was nine cubits and its width four cubits by ordinary cubit.)

This concept of leadership, or kingship, and the giants was closely connected, which brings us back to Isaiah 14:9. Here we again see the word Rephaim used to describe the "spirits of the dead" (whom the Rephaim now are by this point in the Biblical narrative).

Isaiah 14:9
Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come;
It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth;
It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.

This passage directly connects the spirits of the dead (Rephaim) with the "leaders of the earth" and the "kings of all the nations". The ancient world describes the kings of the past as all being "god kings" men who were giants and were half human half deity. This concept was common knowledge even at the time of Isaiah. We get the names of some of these kings in the Bible, most notably Sihon and Og. Even Pharaoh was considered to be a god king in ancient times. Psalm 135:9-11 refers to Sihon, Og, and Pharaoh in the same context.

Psalm 135:9-11
who in your midst, O Egypt, sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants; 10 who struck down many nations and killed mighty kings, 11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan,

These kings are mentioned in a list of mighty things God accomplished. Verses 9 through 11 lists these 3 giant kings as those whom God destroyed. This supports the connection between the spirits of the dead and the leaders of the earth and kings of the nations that Isaiah 14:9 refers to.

Psalm 88:4-5,10
I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit;
I have become like a man without strength,
5 Forsaken among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You remember no more,
And they are cut off from Your hand
...
10 Will You perform wonders for the dead?
Will the departed spirits rise and praise You?

The term "departed spirits" in the original text uses the word (you guessed it) Rephaim. Notice also that the phrase "Whom You remember no more" relates to Isaiah 26:14 where it says "[you] wiped out all remembrance of them".

The meaning and the usage of the word Rephaim continues to change over time and eventually is used to speak of the dead in general. Proverbs is a prime example of this.

Proverbs 2:18
For her house sinks down to death And her tracks lead to the dead;
Proverbs 9:18
But he does not know that the dead are there, That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
Proverbs 21:16
A man who wanders from the way of understanding Will rest in the assembly of the dead.

The word for "the dead" is Rephaim in each of these verses. What this shows us is the term for a once mighty giant race over time becomes a metaphor for the dead. The word is actually split up in the Strongs Concordance for this reason. Although the Hebrew word is exactly the same in all instances the Strongs identifier for when the word is used for the dead is H7496 and the identifier for when it is referring to the giants as they were alive is H7497.

"Doesn't that just mean that the giants are dead?"

That's a valid question. Yes and no. The giants died but there spirits remained. Notice that the poetic use of the word Rephaim that was translated into the English word dead for us to better understand, is being associated with hell and punishment. If the ancient authors wanted to say dead people they could have picked from any of the other 11 different words used to do so (in Hebrew alone). No, this was very deliberate poetry. These proverbs are proverbs of warning, and as such denote more weight with a more terrifying word (as it was to the ancient world) such as Rephaim.

Historical Context

"Is this really how the people who wrote the Bible viewed it? Is it how the people who read the Bible in its ancient context understood the world?"

To answer that question we can turn to the writings of the Jewish people in the Second Temple period. This is helpful because this time period ranges from 516 BC up through 70AD, and that includes the time when the new testament was written (where we get most of our verses about demons) as well as the time of the early church. These texts by nature are extra-Biblical apocryphal and pseudepigraphal texts that are not to be treated as the Bible but rather writings that give us an idea of what the people of that time believed and therefore give us useful context for the Bible.

1 Enoch 15:8-10
Now the giants, who have been born of spirit and of flesh, shall be called upon earth evil spirits, and on earth shall be their habitation. Evil spirits shall proceed from their flesh, because they were created from above; from the holy Watchers was their beginning and primary foundation. Evil spirits shall they be upon earth, and the spirits of the wicked shall they be called. The habitation of the spirits of heaven shall be in heaven; but upon earth shall be the habitation of terrestrial spirits, who are born on earth.
The spirits of the giants shall be like clouds, which shall oppress, corrupt, fall, contend, and bruise upon earth.
They shall cause lamentation. No food shall they eat; and they shall be thirsty; they shall be concealed, and shall not rise up against the sons of men, and against women; for they come forth during the days of slaughter and destruction.

Enoch, which the Bible itself quotes at times, says in no uncertain terms that demons are the spirits of the dead giants.

Jubiliees 10:2-9
And the sons of Noah came to Noah their father, and they told him concerning the demons which were leading astray and blinding and slaying his sons' sons.
And he prayed before the Lord his God, and said:
'God of the spirits of all flesh, who hast shown mercy unto me
And hast saved me and my sons from the waters of the flood,
And hast not caused me to perish as Thou didst the sons of perdition;

For Thy grace has been great towards me,
And great has been Thy mercy to my soul;

Let Thy grace be lift up upon my sons,
And let not wicked spirits rule over them
Lest they should destroy them from the earth.

But do Thou bless me and my sons, that we may increase and Multiply and replenish the earth.
And Thou knowest how Thy Watchers, the fathers of these spirits, acted in my day: and as for these spirits which are living, imprison them and hold them fast in the place of condemnation, and let them not bring destruction on the sons of thy servant, my God; for these are malignant, and created in order to destroy.
And let them not rule over the spirits of the living; for Thou alone canst exercise dominion over them. And let them not have power over the sons of the righteous from henceforth and for evermore.'
And the Lord our God bade us to bind all.
And the chief of the spirits, Mastêmâ, came and said: 'Lord, Creator, let some of them remain before me, and let them harken to my voice, and do all that I shall say unto them; for if some of them are not left to me, I shall not be able to execute the power of my will on the sons of men; for these are for corruption and leading astray before my judgment, for great is the wickedness of the sons of men.'
And He said: Let the tenth part of them remain before him, and let nine parts descend into the place of condemnation.'

Jubiliees, supposedly quoting Noah, makes the interesting claim that only some of the spirits of the giants remained on earth and the rest of them went into Sheol. This notion, strange though it may be, would account for why the Bible speaks of demons (or Rephaim) at times being in Sheol and at other times saying they are here among us.

Clementine Homilies 8:18-19 (supposedly quoting Peter, the disciple of Jesus)
Since, therefore, the souls of the deceased giants were greater than human souls, inasmuch as they also excelled their bodies, they, as being a new race, were called also by a new name. And to those who survived in the world a law was prescribed of God through an angel, how they should live. For being bastards in race, of the fire of angels and the blood of women, and therefore liable to desire a certain race of their own, they were anticipated by a certain righteous law. For a certain angel was sent to them by God, declaring to them His will, and saying:—
"These things seem good to the all-seeing God, that you lord it over no man; that you trouble no one, unless any one of his own accord subject himself to you, worshipping you, and sacrificing and pouring libations, and partaking of your table, or accomplishing anything else that they ought not, or shedding blood, or tasting dead flesh, or filling themselves with that which is torn of beasts, or that which is cut, or that which is strangled, or anything else that is unclean. But those who betake themselves to my law, you not only shall not touch, but shall also do honor to, and shall flee from, their presence. For whatsoever shall please them, being just, respecting you, that you shall be constrained to suffer. But if any of those who worship me go astray, either committing adultery, or practicing magic, or living impurely, or doing any other of the things which are not well-pleasing to me, then they will have to suffer something at your hands or those of others, according to my order. But upon them, when they repent, I, judging of their repentance, whether it be worthy of pardon or not, shall give sentence. These things, therefore, ye ought to remember and to do, well knowing that not even your thoughts shall be able to be concealed from Him.'"

This text shows a fascinating view from the early church but most importantly again confirms the view of such including the origin of demons being the spirits of the dead giants. Again, the Bible holds the truth itself but assumes you know the rest. These texts are proof of that concept being part of the context that surrounds the writing of the new testament and reading of the old in the Second Temple period.

The Devil and his angels

This view explains why the New Testament refers to demons as "evil spirits", "bustard spirits" and "unclean spirits". The Bible isn't just trying to be rude, it is being accurate. Also, notice that it doesn't use those terms to refer to the angels that had sex with women and made the Nephilim. In Genesis 6, Jude, and 2nd Peter 2, they all refer to them as angels, not evil spirits or demons or any of the other terms. These terms are never mixed with the angels that sinned against God. Angels are never explicitly called demons in the Bible. There is a verse people like to use against that statement, Matthew 25:41.

Matthew 25:41
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

I am not claiming that there are not angels who have chosen the side of evil, there most certainly are and this verse reminds us of that. That being said, if you stop imposing the presupposition that fallen angels are demons and read it objectively, you will see that Jesus is saying that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels and nothing more. It does not say "the devil and his angels that are demons" or even "the devil and his demons." This verse does not diminish the claim of demons being the spirits of the giants any more than it diminishes the fact that humans weren't supposed to have to suffer death in the first place. It simply has nothing to do with it. The devil does have principalities and powers and rulers which for the most part is most likely the angels that God judges in Psalm 82. He also has demons. It's both, not one or the other.

The Gender Factor

One final distinction to make is that of gender. Angels are referred to as male beings 100% of the time. Nowhere in the Bible is a female angel mentioned. Some people point to Zechariah 5:9 thinking that he is referring to female angels because his vision includes women with wings. This is false for multiple reasons. The Bible never depicts angels as people who have wings, they either look like humans or they look like chimerical creatures with wings (which may or may not be iconographic). Zechariah 5:9, however, is 100% iconography. If you are to take his vision literally then there are also flying scrolls with wings. The woman with wings is consistently a symbol of Israel and is understood to be so by biblical scholars (Revelation 12 is another place where Israel is symbolized as a woman with wings). Also, everywhere an angel is ever seen in the Bible, male pronouns are the only ones ever used. In Hebrew, this requires subsequent words to take masculine form (an unmistakable indication of gender for the subject of the sentence). There is simply no example of a female angel ever given.

There are, however, instances of female demons. This makes sense since they are half-human. Some were naturally born female. Now extra-biblical texts refer to lots of demons but an example in the Bible alone would be Isaiah 34:14.

Isaiah 34:14
The desert creatures will meet with the wolves,
The hairy goat also will cry to its kind;
Yes, the night monster will settle there
And will find herself a resting place.

The English translations unfortunately disappoint in several places in the Bible and this is one of them. The Hebrew word used for "night monster" is quite literally the name Lilith לִילִית (Strongs reference H3917).

Strongs Definition of Lilith
"name of a female goddess known as a night demon who haunts the desolate places of Edom"

This is quite common across all cultures of the ancient world. They all recognized both male and female gods and goddesses or demons and had the same or different names for individual spirits. Lilith herself has a reputation in almost all of the surrounding countries of Mesopotamia and even all the way out to Greece where they call her Lamia. In fact, the 5th century Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible actually uses the name Lamia in Isaiah 34:14. Lilith was so well recognized as a legitimate part of reality that there were laws that involved her in the Babylonian Talmud (A book of Jewish religious law).

Summing Things Up


So what is a demon?

I want to be clear when I say that the devil's army includes both fallen angels and the evil spirits of the giants. Because of this, one could argue that both of them could qualify as being "demons". At that point, it really completely comes down to your definition of demon. The Greek word for demon is actually super vague. It applies to any spiritual being that can or does influence someone (much like the Hebrew word Elohim is used for many different spiritual beings whether good or fallen), this means that even angels, even good angels, could count as the Greek understanding of demon. Our understanding of what a "demon" is refers more directly to the evil spirits that roam the earth and influence people negatively, and again you could argue that both the spirits of the giants and fallen angels count as such. It is important, however, to recognize what you are choosing to mean when you use such terms and that there is a difference between the beings described by the Bible and the assumptions that come with our modern terms for them. The spiritual world is more complicated than simply being black and white, even angels have many different forms and functions. Both sides of the spiritual war have multidimensional complexity that is seldom discussed and, like most things in life, the truth is very different than our culturally influenced presuppositions.

Digging Deeper

If you still have questions (I know I did) consider the following resources: