27 Who in Sheol can glorify the Most High in place of the living who offer their praise?
Secondly, in various other scriptures like Isaiah 26:14, Psalms 88:11, Proverbs 9:18, and Isaiah 14:9, it refers to spirits in the Jewish afterlife, Sheol, typically implying departed spirits.
רפא (Rapha): This root translates to "healing," implying a connection to souls in Sheol (the Jewish afterlife) who await final judgment by Elohim (God).
רפה (Rapheh): This root means "weak" or "powerless," reflecting the belief that souls in Sheol lack physical power and status, unlike their existence in the living world.
In Sheol, traditional sources of power are irrelevant, rendering its inhabitants submissive to Elohim.
Recent Scholarship: More recent interpretations consider the Repha'im as inhabitants of Sheol, depicted in various translations as shades, spirits, or the dead.
Hendel and others hear an echo of Genesis 6 warriors in Sheol.