Bible Dictionary · S
Satyr
Hairy one. Mentioned in Greek mythology as a creature composed of a man and a goat, supposed to inhabit wild and desolate regions. The Hebrew word is rendered also “goat” (Lev 4:24) and “devil”, i.e., an idol in the form of a goat (Lev 17:7; 2 Chr 11:15). When it is said (Isa 13:21; comp. Isa 34:14) “the satyrs shall dance there,” the meaning is that the place referred to shall become a desolate waste. Some render the Hebrew word “baboon,” a species of which is found in Babylonia.
From Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), by Matthew George Easton.