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.

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

6819. Not only is an individual person one's neighbour but also a group of people; for the community whether small or large is one's neighbour, as is one's country, the Church, the Lord's kingdom, and above all others the Lord. All these are meant by the neighbour whom one should be moved by charity to benefit. They are also ascending degrees of the neighbour, for a community composed of a group of people is the neighbour in a higher degree than an individual person, one's country in a still higher degree than the community, the Church in a still higher degree than this, and the Lord's kingdom in a still higher degree than that. But the Lord is the neighbour in the highest degree. These ascending degrees are like a flight of stairs which have the Lord at the top.