25+ Bible Verses About Friendship

Bible Verses About Friendship

Updated At:

June 1, 2025

Few things bring us more joy than the time we get to spend with our friends. In many ways, friends are the family that we choose. They are the people that we cherish and care for, and whom we can depend on when things get tough, without there needing to be a blood relation or romantic interest.

It was God’s will for us to be social beings, that crave love and companionship. It is also Him who can teach us how to choose and navigate our friendships in a way that is truly fulfilling to our lives. Scripture teaches us that when we choose right, we open ourselves to love, encouragement, support, and healing.

This list of 25+ verses about friendship is meant to guide you in your past and future friendships. They help you understand what a good friend is, what it means to be a good friend yourself, but also what it takes to forgive and heal when hurt.

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Beautiful Bible Verses About Friendship

1. Proverbs 18:24

"A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

Explanation: True friends are loyal and dependable, often closer than family in times of need.


2. Proverbs 27:17

"As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."

Explanation: Real friends help each other grow and improve, challenging one another to be better.


3. John 15:13

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends."

Explanation: The greatest form of friendship is sacrificial love, where we are willing to give selflessly.


4. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up."

Explanation: Friendship provides mutual support, making difficult times easier to bear together.


5. Job 6:14

"Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty."

Explanation: Showing kindness to friends is important, reflecting our respect and love for God.


6. Proverbs 17:17

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."

Explanation: True friends are constant, loving through every season, especially during hardship.


7. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

"Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing."

Explanation: Friends are meant to encourage and support one another, lifting each other up.


8. Proverbs 22:24-25

"Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go, Lest you learn his ways and set a snare for your soul."

Explanation: Be wise in choosing friends, as they influence us, either positively or negatively.


9. 1 Corinthians 15:33

"Do not be deceived: 'Evil company corrupts good habits.'"

Explanation: The friends we keep affect our behavior, so we should choose companions who support our values.


10. Proverbs 27:9

"Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel."

Explanation: True friendship brings joy and refreshment, with genuine friends offering heartfelt advice.


11. Proverbs 27:5-6

"Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

Explanation: True friends are honest, even if it’s hard to hear, while fake friends may flatter without sincerity.


12. Romans 12:10

"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another."

Explanation: Friendship involves loyalty, respect, and placing each other’s needs above our own.


13. Proverbs 16:28

"A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends."

Explanation: Gossip and unkindness can destroy friendships, so it’s essential to speak kindly and truthfully.


14. James 4:4

"Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God."

Explanation: While we should be friendly, our deepest friendships should be with those who help us grow in faith.


15. Proverbs 27:10

"Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend, nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity; Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away."

Explanation: Close friends nearby can be more helpful in times of trouble than distant relatives.


16. Job 42:10

"And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before."

Explanation: Praying for friends brings blessings, and God values our kindness toward one another.


17. Colossians 3:13

"Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."

Explanation: Friendships require patience and forgiveness, just as God has shown forgiveness to us.


18. Proverbs 13:20

"He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed."

Explanation: Choose friends wisely, as their influence can lead us toward wisdom or harm.


19. Luke 6:31

"And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise."

Explanation: Treat your friends the way you want to be treated, building strong, respectful relationships.


20. Proverbs 20:6

"Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?"

Explanation: Many people say they are loyal, but true faithfulness in friendship is rare and precious.


21. 1 Peter 4:8-10

"And above all things have fervent love for one another, for 'love will cover a multitude of sins.' Be hospitable to one another without grumbling."

Explanation: Friends are called to love each other deeply, showing kindness and hospitality without complaint.


22. Hebrews 10:24-25

"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

Explanation: Friends encourage each other in love and good actions, staying connected and supportive.


23. Proverbs 12:26

"The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray."

Explanation: Wise people choose friends who lead them on the right path rather than away from good values.


24. Philippians 2:3-4

"Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

Explanation: Friendships thrive on humility and putting each other’s needs before our own.


25. Proverbs 17:9

"He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends."

Explanation: Forgiving and letting go of offenses keeps friendships strong, while dwelling on issues divides friends.


26. John 15:15

"No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

Explanation: Jesus calls us friends, sharing His heart and plans with us, showing the depth of His love.


27. Proverbs 19:20

"Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days."

Explanation: Good friends listen to advice and learn from each other, growing together in wisdom.


28. Romans 12:15

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."

Explanation: True friends share each other’s joys and sorrows, supporting one another in all circumstances.


29. Amos 3:3

"Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?"

Explanation: Friendship works best when friends share similar values and walk together in agreement.


30. Proverbs 27:19

"As in water face reflects face, so a man’s heart reveals the man."

Explanation: Our friendships reveal our true character and show what is in our hearts.

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