Generally in the Bible a "country" means a political subdivision ruled by a king, or sometimes a tribe with a territory ruled by a king or chieftain. Others are what we now call city-states, with surrounding farm areas. In almost all cases these countries were far smaller than our modern idea of countries, though Egypt and Assyria would be exceptions. Sometimes the word is used to refer to countryside, a wide area with no consideration of boundaries as when the twelve Israelites were sent to spy out the country.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 3816 [3], 6818, 6820, 6821; Charity 83, 85; True Christian Religion 305)

417. Internal Meaning of Genesis, Chapter 16

1-16 Conjunction of the truth and good of the natural man, from which there would be only an external church, which is rational.

But concerning all this see Arcana Coelestia, where [it is explained that] these things pertaining to the church signify things pertaining to the Lord; for all things of the Word in the spiritual sense treat of the church and heaven, but in the celestial sense of the Lord. (2)