Often translated as “edge,” “border,” “boundary,” “outskirts,” “far places” and other ways, this term is used in the Bible for the farthest reaches of an area. Swedenborg says it generally represents either an introduction into the state it surrounds, a protection for that state or simply the area within that state which is lowest and furthest from the Lord.
Passages from Swedenborg
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2349
2349. ‘All the people from furthest away’ means every single one of them. This is clear from what is said immediately above, that there ‘boys and old men’ means falsities and evils, recent as well as confirmed, so that at this point ‘people from furthest away’ means every single one of them.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2936
2936. ‘Which is at the end of his field’ means where little of the Church exists. This is clear from the meaning of ‘the end’ or the edge as that which is little, and from the meaning of ‘the field’ as the Church, and also the Church’s doctrine, dealt with in 368. That ‘the end’ or the edge means that which is little becomes clear from the description of the land, the ground, and fields in the Word. The middle of them means that which is much, but the edge means that which is little. This edge is also called the circumference, the reason being that what is representative expires around the edge; and so here ‘the end of the field’ means where little of the Church exists.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8104
8104. ‘On the edge of the wilderness’ means the first state of temptations. This is clear from the meaning of ‘the wilderness’ as a state for undergoing temptations, dealt with above in 8098; and since that state begins ‘on the edge of the wilderness’, the first state is therefore meant by ‘the edge of the wilderness’.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8539
8539. ‘They ate the man[na] until they came to the border of the land of Canaan’ means that they went on making good from truth their own, until they reached the region of heaven. This is clear from the meaning of ‘the man[na]’ as the good of truth; from the meaning of ‘eating’ as making one’s own, as just above in 8537; and from the meaning of ‘the land of Canaan’ as heaven, as above in 8538, so that ‘the border of the land of Canaan’ is the entrance to heaven, or the region where heaven begins. From all these meanings it is evident that ‘they ate the man[na] until they came to the border of the land of Canaan’ means that they were making the good of truth their own until they reached the region of heaven.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8796
8796. ‘Or to touch the border of it’ means that there must be no extension even to intermediate parts. This is clear from the meaning of ‘the border’ as intermediate parts, for the Lord’s celestial kingdom, which is the inmost or third heaven, is separated from the spiritual kingdom, which is the second or middle heaven, by intermediate parts. The celestial kingdom flows through these into the spiritual kingdom, but not the latter into the former; for all influx takes place by way of intermediate parts from interiors into exteriors, but not from exteriors into interiors, 5259, 5779. From all this it is evident that the intermediate parts are borders, and that not even the edges of the good of the celestial kingdom can be reached by those belonging to the spiritual kingdom, 2718, 3833, 6500, 8521. So it is that ‘taking care not to touch the border of the mountain’ means that there must be no extension to celestial communities who have the love of good, or even to intermediate parts.