True friendship, often elusive, is a source of comfort for many. We relate to friendly characters on TV and recall our cherished friendships, yet some face betrayals or struggle to form meaningful connections. For guidance, Christians turn to the Bible, seeking insights on true friendship, how to be a good friend, and recognizing insincere relationships. Whether you’re a Christian or interested in biblical perspectives, this list of verses offers valuable reflections on friendship.
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Old Testament Bible Verses About Friendship
Old Testament Bible verses about friendship reference false friends and how to handle them, help us learn how to enhance relationships and understand how our friendships impact us. These friendship Bible verses directly mention “friends” and offer a guide on resolving friendship issues in alignment with God’s teachings.
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Proverbs 27:5-6
“Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”
Our interpretation: If a friend speaks frankly with you, it is much better to have this than a friend who is sweet to you but really against you.
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Proverbs 18:24
“Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.”
Our interpretation: Some people will pretend to be your friend but secretly have bad intentions with you. They were never your real friends. However, with God and true human friendship, you will find someone by your side through thick and thin.
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Job 6:14
“He who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.”
Our interpretation: Kindness toward a friend is Godly and highly encouraged to please God. If you aren’t kind to a friend, you show that you don’t fear God.
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Proverbs 13:20
“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”
Our interpretation: The company you keep is crucial because you will become as wise as your wise company and as foolish as the foolishness you surround yourself with. Having thoughtless friends can lead you to a troubled and painful life.
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Proverbs 16:28
“A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.”
Our interpretation: Friendship can be torn apart by gossip from a jealous or hateful outsider.
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Proverbs 17:17
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
Our interpretation: Both a friend and a sibling are meant to stick by your side through trials and tribulations. A truly close friend, someone you feel is close enough to be a sibling, is so strong and supportive that they are passionately ready to battle tough times with you.
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Proverbs 17:9
“One who forgives an affront fosters friendship, but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend.”
Our interpretation: A person who forgives plants the seed for friendship growth. If you hold a grudge, hold the situation over the person’s head, or otherwise hold onto an offense, you push away the possibility of friendship.
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Proverbs 22:24-25
“Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.”
Our interpretation: If you hang around someone prone to anger, you will subconsciously pick up their behaviors and begin acting the same way. You may be quicker to blow up at the slightest insult or begin to see more things with which to take offense and become just like this friend.
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Proverbs 27:10
“Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend, and do not go to your brother’s house on the day of your calamity. Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother who is far away.”
Our interpretation: While you should be there if your far-away relatives or distant friendships need to come to you, you should not go to them if they are far away. A better option is to foster closer relationships with your neighbors so that when you are facing difficulties, you can go to those close to you in proximity first and foremost.
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Proverbs 27:9
“Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.”
Our interpretation: A trustworthy friend who is encouraging and gives honest and heartfelt guidance can bring as much comfort to someone’s life as the pleasure of indulging in the smell of your favorite perfume or cologne. This kind of friend provides pleasant comfort to the human heart.
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New Testament Bible Verses About Friendship
In The New Testament, Bible verses on friendship continue to show Christians how to treat friends, but there is less direct mention of the word “friend.” Instead, the definition of how to treat others in the world includes how to behave toward friends, family, and neighbors. The theme becomes “treat others as you would want to be treated.”
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John 15:13
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
Our interpretation: Someone who cares so deeply for his friends that he will fight for them even when it costs him his life is showcasing the essence of Christian love.
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Hebrews 10:24-25
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
Our interpretation: Friendship and Christian fellowship are founded on encouragement and community. Christians should encourage each other to do good things in the world and meet regularly to check-in. They must use this time to build each other up, especially when things get tough.
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James 10:23
“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.”
Our interpretation: Abraham is called a “friend” of God and demonstrates the faith and virtuous intentions it takes to have a good friendship.
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1 John 1:3
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
Our interpretation: If Christians are the offspring of God, then they can expect to be treated as poorly as God has been by societies through the generations. In friendship, Christians may face betrayal, pain, and suffering as Jesus did when his most trusted disciples turned away from him.
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1 John 3:17
“But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”
Our interpretation: If you have what you need and in abundance, but don’t extend a helping hand to your closest friends and siblings, this verse is questioning that person’s ability to love. It’s calling this act unloving and lacking.
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1 Peter 4:18
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
Our interpretation: If you remember nothing else, remember to hold the act of loving others, including your friends, above anything else. Not only should you love them, but you should also use your unique abilities to help each other where the other is lacking.
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Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10
“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him!”
Our interpretation: Friendship is essential to help you get through life. A friend helps when life is difficult, but if you are alone, it becomes much harder to recover.
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James 4:4
“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
Our interpretation: This verse uses an analogy to say that embracing worldly ways and things directly opposes embracing God. “Friendship” is used to signify closeness and comradery and to make the point that God and the “ways of the world” are essentially enemies.
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Luke 6:31
“And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.”
Our interpretation: The behaviors and actions you desire for people to do for you; you should do that for them. With friendship, this means treating your friends in the ways you wish to be treated.
Where to Find a Bible
You might be wondering where to get a Bible to continue to read what it says about friendship on your own. Bibles come in different forms and you can choose a format that you like the most. Some offer space to journal, illustrate, and take notes.
Check out this list to find a Bible that best suits you:
How to Get Professional Support for Relationship Issues
While bible verses can be inspirational and offer comfort, they’re not a replacement for professional help if you struggle in your relationships. Suppose your friendships are failing or you’re having difficulty figuring out how to make friends. In that case, there are online therapy options and an online therapist directory to help you find a therapist to talk to as you learn to navigate new skills for better relationships or get to the root of the problem. It is a brave first step to seek help.
Bible Verses About Friendship Infographics
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