The Hebrew shed (plural shedim) refers to demons or malevolent supernatural beings receiving illicit worship. The word appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible (Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalm 106:37), both in the context of pagan sacrifice and idolatry. It is likely a loanword from Akkadian (šēdu), where it originally could denote a protective spirit that later became associated with evil.
The explicit demonology of the Old Testament is subtle but significant. Deuteronomy 32:17 declares that apostate Israel sacrificed to shedim — 'not God.' Paul cites this very verse in 1 Corinthians 10:20: 'the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons (daimonia), not to God.' The idols are nothing (1 Corinthians 8:4), but behind idolatry lurk real spiritual powers hostile to God and humanity. Psalm 106:37 adds the horror: children were sacrificed to the shedim. The New Testament world of Jesus is filled with demonic activity — Jesus casts out demons as a sign that the Kingdom of God has arrived (Matthew 12:28). The shedim are a defeated foe through Christ's cross (Colossians 2:15).