'Friends' in the Bible

Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, his [close friend and confidential] adviser, and Phicol, the commander of his army.

When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to the elders of Judah, his friends, saying, “Here is a blessing (gift) for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord:

Then Abner was very angry at the words of Ish-bosheth, and he said, “Am I a dog’s head [a despicable traitor] that belongs to Judah? Today I show loyalty and kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and his friends, by not having you handed over to David; and yet you charge me today with guilt concerning this woman.

When he became king, as soon as he sat on his throne, he killed the entire household of Baasha; he did not leave a single male [alive], either of his relatives or his friends.

So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and his familiar friends and his priests, until he left him without a survivor.

Nevertheless, Haman controlled himself and went home. There he sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh.

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

Then Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise counselors and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall in status, is of Jewish heritage, you will not overcome him, but will certainly fall before him.”

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

“The paths of their course wind along,They go up into nothing and perish.[Your counsel is as helpful to me as a dry streambed in the heat of summer.]

“If he is snatched from his place [in the garden],Then his place will forget him, saying, ‘I have never seen you.’

“My friends are scoffers [who ridicule];My eye pours out tears to God.

“He who denounces and informs against his friends for a share of the spoil,The eyes of his children will also languish and fail.

“My relatives have failed [me],And my intimate friends have forgotten me.

“All the men of my council hate me;Those I love have turned against me.

“Have pity on me! Have pity on me, O you my friends,For the hand of God has touched me.

Let thorns grow instead of wheat,And stinkweed and cockleburs instead of barley.”So the words of Job [with his friends] are finished.

Elihu’s anger burned against Job’s three friends because they had found no answer [and were unable to determine Job’s error], and yet they had condemned Job and declared him to be in the wrong [and responsible for his own afflictions].

“They (Job’s friends) are dismayed and embarrassed, they no longer answer;The words have moved away and failed them,” [says Elihu].

It came about that 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, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.

The Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;And my neighbors stand far away.

You have put my friends far from me;You have made me an object of loathing to them.I am shut up and I cannot go out.

Lover and friend You have placed far from me;My familiar friends are in darkness.

The poor man is hated even by his neighbor,But those who love the rich are many.

A perverse man spreads strife,And one who gossips separates intimate friends.

He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love,But he who repeats or gossips about a matter separates intimate friends.

The man of too many friends [chosen indiscriminately] will be broken in pieces and come to ruin,But there is a [true, loving] friend who [is reliable and] sticks closer than a brother.

Wealth makes many friends,But a poor man is separated from his friend.

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

(The Bridegroom)“I have come into my garden, my sister, my [promised] bride;I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam and spice [from your sweet words].I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;I have drunk my wine with my milk.Eat, friends;Drink and drink deeply, O lovers.”

“What will you say [O Jerusalem] when the Lord appoints [foreign nations to rule] over you—Those former friends and allies whom you have encouraged [to be your companions]—Will not pain seize youLike [that of] a woman in childbirth?

For thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; they will fall by the sword of their enemies while you look on. And I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon; he will carry them away to Babylon as captives and will slaughter them with the sword.

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

For I have heard the whispering and defaming words of many,“Terror on every side!Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”All my familiar and trusted friends,[Those who are] watching for my fall, say,“Perhaps he will be persuaded and deceived; then we will overcome him,And take our revenge on him.”

‘Then behold, all the women who are left in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon and those women will say [to you, King Zedekiah],“Your close friendsHave prevailed against your better judgment and have overpowered and deceived you;While your feet were sunk in the mire [of trouble],They turned back.”

She weeps bitterly in the nightAnd her tears are [constantly] on her cheeks;Among all her lovers (political allies)She has no one to comfort her.All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;They have become her enemies.

And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your arms?’ Then he will answer, ‘Those wounds I received in the house of my friends.’