Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Satyrs

And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils (satyrs), after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations. Lev. 17:7

"Satyrs" literally means “goats.” They were deemed to be sylvan gods or demons who inhabited waste places (Isa. 13: 21; Isa. 34:14). The worship of the goat, accompanied by the foulest rites, prevailed in Lower Egypt. This was familiar to the Israelites, and God desired to wean them from it (cf. Josh. 24:14; Ezek. 20:7).

(Hertz, Dr. J.H., The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, 2nd Ed., Soncino Press, London, 1992, pg 486)

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