What Does the Bible Say About Friendship?

“And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen , and pursued them unto Dan. armed: or, led forth trained: or, instructed”

“Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him.”

“If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;”

“Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth;”

“Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him:”

“But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.”

“Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot , and went in unto her. harlot: Heb. a woman an harlot”

“And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehemjudah . a concubine: Heb. a woman a concubine, or, a wife a concubine”

“And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Bethlehemjudah , and was there four whole months . four whole months: or, a year and four month: Heb. days, four months”

“And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Intreat: or, Be not against me”

“Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.”

“Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.”

“To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty. is afflicted: Heb. melteth”

“My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away;”

“I have heard many such things: miserable comforters are ye all. miserable: or, troublesome”

“My friends scorn me: but mine eye poureth out tears unto God. scorn me: Heb. are my scorners”

“He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintance are verily estranged from me.”

“My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.”

“They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.”

“I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I intreated him with my mouth.”

“My breath is strange to my wife, though I intreated for the children's sake of mine own body. mine: Heb. my belly”

“Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spake against me. young: or, the wicked”

“All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me. my: Heb. the men of my secret”

“My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth. and to: or, as to”

“Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends; for the hand of God hath touched me.”

“Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?”

“False witnesses did rise up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not. False: Heb. Witnesses of wrong they: Heb. they asked me”

“But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom. humbled: or, afflicted”

“I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother. behaved myself: Heb. walked as though: Heb. as a friend, as a brother to me”

“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. mine: Heb. the man of my peace lifted: Heb. magnified”

“For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:”

“But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. mine equal: Heb. according to my rank”

“We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company. We: Heb. Who sweetened counsel”

“He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant. broken: Heb. profaned”

“The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.”

“Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.”

“Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.”

“A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter. A talebearer: Heb. He that walketh, being a talebearer”

“The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them. excellent: or, abundant”

“He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. destroyed: Heb. broken”

“Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.”

“A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends. soweth: Heb. sendeth forth”

“He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends. seeketh: or, procureth”

“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

“A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.”

“Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:”

“Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.”

“Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts.”

“If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?”

“Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee. Withdraw: or, Let thy foot be seldom in weary: Heb. full of thee”

“Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.”

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. deceitful: or, earnest, or, frequent”

“Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel. by: Heb. from the counsel of the soul”

“Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.”

“He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him.”

“Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”

“As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.”

“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.”

“For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.”

“Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?”

“And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

“Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.”

“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

“And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”

“Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.”

“And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.”

“But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.”

“But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.”

“And many women were there beholding afar off , which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:”

“In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.”

“Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.”

“It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles.”

“Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.”

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”

“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”

“But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,”

“The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,”

“And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.”

“Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:”

“Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.”

“But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. But: or, Moreover”

“For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. likeminded: or, so dear unto me”

“But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.”

“Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.”

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. honest: or, venerable”

“But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.”

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:”

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”