Friendship | Resource Guide
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Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance (SEC): OT #7453 is the most common OT word for ‘friend.’ It can be used of an associate who is “more or less close,” brother, companion, fellow, another, neighbor, friend, husband, or lover. NT #4139 may refer to a neighbor, countryman, or friend. The most common NT word for friend is #5384 (philos). Its range of meanings include an associate, neighbor, or friend.
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT): Referring to the most commonly-used OT word for friend, it gives the following usages for the word: another person, companion, friend. The word rea’ can refer to acquaintances partners of some type, or to closer friends.
Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (IDB): Luke 7:34 refers to Jesus as a friend of sinners because he spent time with them. This is also true of His disciples (Lk 12:4). In general, fellow-Christians can be described as ‘friends’ (Acts 27:3; 3 John 15).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, fully revised (ISBE): The notion of being a friend involves some type of commitment to another whether that is to them as a neighbor, acquaintance, companion, business partner, or spouse/darling. To varying degrees, then, being a ‘friend’ involves loyalty, not harming the other in any way, sharing with them (your joy, faith, life experiences, and acts that express tangible caring (Acts 24:23).
Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (ZPEB): A ‘friend’ can be someone who offers us hospitality, an acquaintance, a neighbor, or someone very dear to us. The richest friendship we can experience is with God (James 2:23).
New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis (NIDNTTE): Philos, the most common NT word for ‘friend,’ was used for a spouse, political allies, acquaintance, or friend.
Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling (DPCC): Friendship is a voluntary relationship where two or more people who have common interests desire to be together to enjoy varying degrees of self-disclosure. It involves greater or lesser levels of love, sacrifice, and commitment while providing such benefits as support for the friend’s well-being, fellowship, cooperation, and encouragement.
Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology & Counseling (2nd ed): Friendship is a relationship of knowing, trusting, and liking another. The depth of one’s friendship is largely determined by the level of mutual self-disclosure, caring about the other’s welfare, and willingness to coordinate schedules to make time for the other. Physical proximity, attraction, similarity of values and attitudes, and self-disclosure are key factors in determining the level of a friendship.
Dictionary of Biblical Imagery: Someone can be a bad friend who is not good for us. Friendship entails responsibilities, benefits, and a commitment of each for improvement in godliness.
Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Forms of friendship include friend as acquaintance/neighbor, as commitment of affection (fellow-believers greeted with a holy kiss), and as deeper affection through shared experiences.
Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics: In a healthy friendship, the friends want and gladly work toward the good of each other. They enjoy spending time together with their time being characterized by trust and a greater or lesser level of self-disclosure and intimacy.
Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: In the NT, there is a strong connection between friendship, joy, and table fellowship. There is also a relationship between friend as neighbor and showing hospitality.
New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology & Exegesis: One OT word for ‘friend’ (allup) refers to a close friend who is known and familiar to their friend. At Prov 2:17, allup refers to the intimate friendship we are to have with our spouse. Intimate friendships are sweet and involve confidentiality, loyalty, and harmony. There are different types of friends: official friend, neighbor, companion on a journey, or fairweather friend (Prov 18:24). Salom means peace, well-being, health, and friendship. Having a good friend is healthy.