kun'-tri ('erets, "land," sadheh, "field"; agros, "field," chora, "region"): The foregoing are the principal words rendered "country" in English Versions of the Bible, though we find also 'adhamah, "earth" (Jon 4:2); 'i, "island" (Jer 47:4the King James Version); gelilah, "circuit" (Eze 47:8the King James Version); chebhel, "rope" (De 3:14); maqom, "place" (Ge 29:26the King James Version); nepheth,"hill" or "height" (Jos 17:11the King James Version); genos, "race" (Ac 4:36the King James Version); ge, "earth" (Mt 9:31the King James Version;Ac 7:3the King James Version); patris, "native land" (Lu 4:23;Joh 4:44;Heb 11:14); perichoros, "country (the American Standard Revised Version "region") round about" (Mt 14:35;Lu 3:3;4:37;8:37). InHeb 11:14ff, "heaven" is referred to as a country. Egypt and Assyria were "far countries" (Jer 8:19the King James Version;Zec 10:9). The hill country (compare the numerous Gibeahs (gibh`ah, "a hill")) was the mountainous region to the North or to the South of Jerusalem. The low country, shephelah (seeSHEPHELAH), consisted of the foothills to the west of the hill country. The south country orNEGEB(neghebh), which see, was the dry, extreme southern part of Palestine, approximately between Beersheba and Kadesh-barnea.
Alfred Ely Day