We hope that the verses below offer you a deeper insight into what God’s Word has to say about the subject of friendship. (All verses are taken from the New American Standard Version of the Bible.)

What the Bible Says About the Value of Friendship

God’s Word speaks about the great value of having loyal friends. Scripture doesn’t encourage us to isolate ourselves.

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor; for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up! Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor, not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; – Romans 12:10-11

What the Bible Says About Godly Friendship

Godly friends are a great gift in life. Scripture highly commends friendship.

bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so must you do also. – Colossians. 3:13

A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity. – Proverbs 17:17

Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals. – 1 Corinthians 15:33

Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians. 6:2

How To Be and Have True Friends

What the Bible Tells Us About Being Friends With God

Through the Gospel, we are offered the incredible privilege of friendship with God. Below are a few verses about what it means to be friends with God.

No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. – John 15:15

You are My friends if you do what I command you. – John 15:14

and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. – James 2:23

Every Mention of the Word “Friend” in the Bible

We’ve included all mentions of the word “friend” in the NASB below. We hope reflecting on these verses will deepen your knowledge of God’s Word!

Bible Verses About Friendship in Genesis

And Jacob saw the attitude of Laban, and behold, it was not friendly toward him as it had been before. – Genesis 31:2

and said to them, “I see your father’s attitude, that it is not friendly toward me as it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. – Genesis 31:5

“These men are friendly to us; therefore let them live in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. We will take their daughters in marriage, and give our daughters to them. – Genesis 34:21

And his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms. – Genesis 37:4

Now after a considerable time Shua’s daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and when the time of mourning was ended, Judah went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. – Genesis 38:12

When Judah sent the young goat by his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman’s hand, he did not find her. – Genesis 38:20

Bible Verses About Friendship in Exodus

And he said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Every man of you put his sword on his thigh, and go back and forth from gate to gate in the camp, and kill every man his brother, and every man his friend, and every man his neighbor.’” – Exodus 32:27

So the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. – Exodus 33:11

Bible Verses About Friendship in Leviticus

‘If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. – Leviticus 20:10

Furthermore, if you make a sale to your friend, or buy from your friend’s hand, you shall not wrong one another. – Leviticus 25:14

Corresponding to the number of years after the jubilee, you shall buy from your friend; he is to sell to you according to the number of years of crops. – Leviticus 25:15

Bible Verses About Friendship in Deuteronomy

“If your brother, your mother’s son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is like your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let’s go and serve other gods’ (whom neither you nor your fathers have known, – Deuteronomy 13:6

“Now this is the case of the one who commits manslaughter, who may flee there and live: when he kills his friend unintentionally, not hating him previously— – Deuteronomy 19:4

as when a person goes into the forest with his friend to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down the tree, and the iron head slips off the handle and strikes his friend so that he dies—he may flee to one of these cities and live. – Deuteronomy 19:5

Bible Verses About Friendship in Judges

When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent collapsed.” – Judges 7:13

And his friend replied, “This is nothing other than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has handed over to him Midian and all the camp.” – Judges 7:14

And she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me; allow me two months, so that I may go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my friends.” – Judges 11:37

Then he said, “Go.” So he let her go for two months; and she left with her friends, and wept on the mountains because of her virginity. – Judges 11:38

But Samson’s wife was given to his companion who had been his friend. – Judges 14:20

Bible Verses About Friendship in Ruth

Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the redeemer of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Come over here, friend, sit down here.” And he came over and sat down. – Ruth 4:1

Bible Verses About Friendship in 1 Samuel

Now when David came to Ziklag, he sent some of the spoils to the elders of Judah, to his friends, saying, “Behold, a gift for you from the spoils of the enemies of the Lord: – 1 Samuel 30:26

Bible Verses About Friendship in 2 Samuel

I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been a close friend to me. Your love for me was more wonderful Than the love of women. – 2 Samuel 1:26

Then Abner became very angry over Ish-bosheth’s question and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not let you fall into the hands of David; yet today you call me to account for wrongdoing with that woman? – 2 Samuel 3:8

But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very clever man. – 2 Samuel 13:3

So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem. – 2 Samuel 15:37

Now it came about, when Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, came to Absalom, that Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” – 2 Samuel 16:16

But Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your loyalty to your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” – 2 Samuel 16:17

Bible Verses About Friendship in 1 Kings

Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon when he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always been a friend of David. – 1 Kings 5:1

And when he became king, as soon as he sat on his throne, he killed all the household of Baasha; he did not leave a single male alive, either of his relatives or of his friends. – 1 Kings 16:11

And when he became king, as soon as he sat on his throne, he killed all the household of Baasha; he did not leave a single male alive, either of his relatives or of his friends. – 1 Kings 16:11

Bible Verses About Friendship in 1 Chronicles

Ahithophel was counselor to the king; and Hushai the Archite was the king’s friend. – 1 Chronicles 27:33

Bible Verses About Friendship in 2 Chronicles

Did You not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land from Your people Israel, and give it to the descendants of Your friend Abraham forever? – 2 Chronicles 20:7

Bible Verses About Friendship in Esther

Haman controlled himself, however, and went to his house. But he sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh. – Esther 5:10

Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Have a wooden gallows fifty cubits high made, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it; then go joyfully with the king to the banquet.” And the advice pleased Haman, so he had the wooden gallows made. – Esther 5:14

And Haman informed Zeresh his wife and all his friends of everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish origin, you will not prevail over him, but will certainly fall before him.” – Esther 6:13

Bible Verses About Friendship in Job

Now when Job’s three friends heard about all this adversity that had come upon him, they came, each one from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him. – Job 2:11

“For the despairing man there should be kindness from his friend; So that he does not abandon the fear of the Almighty. – Job 6:14

You would even cast lots for the orphans, And barter over your friend. – Job 6:27

I am a joke to my friends, The one who called on God and He answered him; The just and blameless man is a joke. – Job 12:4

My friends are my scoffers; My eye weeps to God, – Job 16:20

He who informs against friends for a share of the spoils, The eyes of his children also will perish. – Job 17:5

My relatives have failed, And my close friends have forgotten me. – Job 19:14

Pity me, pity me, you friends of mine, For the hand of God has struck me. – Job 19:21

And his anger burned against his three friends because they had found no answer, yet they had condemned Job. – Job 32:3

For he has said, ‘It is of no use to a man When he becomes friends with God.’ – Job 34:9

I will answer you, And your friends with you. – Job 35:4

It came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is trustworthy, as My servant Job has. – Job 42:7

The Lord also restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord increased double all that Job had. – Job 42:10

Bible Verses About Friendship in Psalms

If I have done evil to my friend, Or have plundered my enemy for no reason, – Psalm 7:4

He does not slander with his tongue, Nor do evil to his neighbor, Nor bring shame on his friend; – Psalm 15:3

I went about as though it were my friend or brother; I bowed down in mourning, like one who mourns for a mother. – Psalm 35:14

My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague; And my kinsmen stand far away. – Psalm 38:11

Even my close friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me. – Psalm 41:9

When you see a thief, you become friends with him, And you associate with adulterers. – Psalm 50:18

You have removed lover and friend far from me; My acquaintances are in a hiding place. – Psalm 88:18

For the sake of my brothers and my friends, I will now say, “May peace be within you.” – Psalm 122:8

Bible Verses About Friendship in Proverbs

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your intimate friend, – Proverbs 7:4

A perverse person spreads strife, And a slanderer separates close friends. – Proverbs 16:28

One who conceals an offense seeks love, But one who repeats a matter separates close friends. – Proverbs 17:9

A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity. – Proverbs 17:17

A person of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. – Proverbs 18:24

Wealth adds many friends, But a poor person is separated from his friend. – Proverbs 19:4

Many will seek the favor of a generous person, And every person is a friend to him who gives gifts. – Proverbs 19:6

All the brothers of a poor person hate him; How much more do his friends abandon him! He pursues them with words, but they are gone. – Proverbs 19:7

One who loves purity of heart And whose speech is gracious, the king is his friend. – Proverbs 22:11

Proverbs 27:6
Do not make friends with a person given to anger, Or go with a hot-tempered person, – Proverbs 22:24

Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. – Proverbs 27:6

Oil and perfume make the heart glad, And a person’s advice is sweet to his friend. – Proverbs 27:9

Do not abandon your friend or your father’s friend, And do not go to your brother’s house on the day of your disaster; Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away. – Proverbs 27:10

One who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be considered a curse to him. – Proverbs 27:14

Bible Verses About Friendship in Song of Solomon

“I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, friends; Drink and drink deeply, lovers.” – Song of Solomon 5:1

His mouth is full of sweetness. And he is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, You daughters of Jerusalem.” – Song of Solomon 5:16

Bible Verses About Friendship in Isaiah

“But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend, – Isaiah 41:8

Bible Verses About Friendship in Jeremiah

Have you not just now called to Me, ‘My Father, You are the friend of my youth? – Jeremiah 3:4

Therefore, this is what the Lord says: “Behold, I am placing stumbling blocks before this people. And they will stumble against them, Fathers and sons together; Neighbor and friend will perish.” – Jeremiah 6:21

For this is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to make you a horror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will hand all Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will take them away as exiles to Babylon and will kill them with the sword. – Jeremiah 20:4

And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into captivity; and you will enter Babylon, and there you will die and there you will be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have falsely prophesied.’” – Jeremiah 20:6

For I have heard the whispering of many, “Terror on every side! Denounce him; let’s denounce him!” All my trusted friends, Watching for my fall, say: “Perhaps he will be persuaded, so that we may prevail against him And take our revenge on him.” – Jeremiah 20:10

‘Behold, all of the women who have been left in the palace of the king of Judah are going to be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon; and those women will say, “Your close friends Have misled and overpowered you; While your feet were sunk in the mire, They turned back.” – Jeremiah 20:10

‘Behold, all of the women who have been left in the palace of the king of Judah are going to be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon; and those women will say, “Your close friends Have misled and overpowered you; While your feet were sunk in the mire, They turned back.” – Jeremiah 38:22

Bible Verses About Friendship in Lamentations

She weeps bitterly in the night, And her tears are on her cheeks; She has no one to comfort her Among all her lovers. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; They have become her enemies. – Lamentations 1:2

Bible Verses About Friendship in Daniel

So the decree was issued that the wise men be killed; and they looked for Daniel and his friends, to kill them. – Daniel 2:13

Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, – Daniel 2:17

so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. – Daniel 2:18

Bible Verses About Friendship in Micah

Do not trust in a neighbor; Do not have confidence in a close friend. Guard your lips From her who lies in your arms. – Micah 7:5

Bible Verses About Friendship in Zechariah

Now listen, Joshua, you high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a sign: for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. – Zechariah 3:8

And someone will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will say, ‘Those with which I was wounded at the house of my friends.’ – Zechariah 13:6

Bible Verses About Friendship in Matthew

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a heavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ And yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.” – Matthew 11:19

But he answered and said to one of them, ‘friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? – Matthew 20:13

and he said to him, ‘friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. – Matthew 22:12

But Jesus said to him, “friend, do what you have come for.” Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and arrested Him. – Matthew 26:50

Bible Verses About Friendship in Luke

And seeing their faith, He said, “friend, your sins are forgiven you.” – Luke 5:20

Now Jesus started on His way with them; but already, when He was not yet far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to enter under my roof; – Luke 7:6

The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a heavy drinker, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ – Luke 7:34

And He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘friend, lend me three loaves, – Luke 11:5

because a friend of mine has come to me from a journey and I have nothing to serve him’; – Luke 11:6

I tell you, even if he will not get up and give him anything just because he is his friend, yet because of his shamelessness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. – Luke 11:8

“Now I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. – Luke 12:4

But whenever you are invited, go and take the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are dining at the table with you. – Luke 14:10

Now He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “Whenever you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor wealthy neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you to a meal in return, and that will be your repayment. –
Luke 14:12

And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost!’ – Luke 15:6

And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the coin which I had lost!’ – Luke 15:9

But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you never gave me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; – Luke 15:29

And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it is all gone, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings. – Luke 16:9

But you will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, other relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death, – Luke 21:16

And so Herod and Pilate became friends with one another that very day; for previously, they had been enemies toward each other. – Luke 23:12

Bible Verses About Friendship in John

He who has the bride is the groom; but the friend of the groom, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made full. – John 3:29

This He said, and after this He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going so that I may awaken him from sleep.” – John 11:11

Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13

You are My friends if you do what I command you. – John 15:14

No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. – John 15:15

As a result of this, Pilate made efforts to release Him; but the Jews shouted, saying, “If you release this Man, you are not a friend of Caesar; everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar!” – John 19:12

Bible Verses About Friendship in Acts

On the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. – Acts 10:24

Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent word to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater. – Acts 19:31

He gave orders to the centurion for Paul to be kept in custody and yet have some freedom, and not to prevent any of his friends from providing for his needs. – Acts 24:23

The next day we put in at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul with consideration and allowed him to go to his friends and receive care. – Acts 27:3

Bible Verses About Friendship in 1 Corinthians

when we are slandered, we reply as friends; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. – 1 Corinthians 4:13

Bible Verses About Friendship in James

and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God. – James 2:23

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. – James 4:4

Bible Verses About Friendship in 3 John

Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name. – 3 John 1:15

Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name. – 3 John 1:15

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