Life situation
Bible verses about friendship
Last reviewed
Friendship gets more attention in the Bible than is often assumed. Proverbs returns to it repeatedly; the friendship of David and Jonathan is described at length; Ruth's decision to stay with Naomi is one of the most quoted passages in the Old Testament.
Notably, several of these passages are about friends who tell you things you would rather not hear. That is included here alongside the warmer material.
10 passages
Each shows its reference and translation, and links to the chapter it comes from.
A friend loves at all times; and a brother is born for adversity.
Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend’s countenance.
9Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour. 10For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
The wounds of a friend are faithful, although the kisses of an enemy are profuse.
16Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. 17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.”
A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
1When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 2Saul took him that day, and wouldn’t let him go home to his father’s house any more. 3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart; so does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honour prefer one another,
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible British Edition, which is in the public domain. “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org.