'Friends' in the Bible

So the order went out that the wise men were to be put to death; and they were looking for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.

And Daniel went to his house and gave his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah the news:

So that they might make a request for the mercy of the God of heaven in the question of this secret; so that Daniel and his friends might not come to destruction with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.