The 5 Greatest Friendships of the Bible

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Have you ever wondered what true friendship looks like? What it should provide? How it forms? If you’re a Christian, you know that the Bible is the source of much wisdom concerning every area of life, and the case of friendship is no different.

God did not make us to be alone. To that end, He designed relationships—not just of the marital and familial kind, but friendships as well. Friendships fill the gaps in our lives, providing us with a wide variety of support, love, and entertainment. Not only that, but God has left us written testaments to the power of friendship, and of what it looks like at its best, so that we can know how to go about being a friend.

Take a look at these 5 great examples of friendships in the Bible, the important lessons we can take from each of them.

David and Jonathan

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Of all the friendships in the Bible, that of David and Jonathan stands out, perhaps, the most. 1 Samuel 18 describes their friendship: “As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.”

This is the essence of friendship, to love another as you love yourself. Not only this, but Jonathan sacrificed for David, stripping himself of the items which represented his power and position, and giving them to him. Jonathan was also unwaveringly loyal to David, warning him of King Saul’s treachery and intent to kill him. The two friends shared a close emotional bond as well, and were unafraid of sharing their feelings, weeping when it became clear that David had to leave.

These three elements—displayed love, loyalty, and emotional openness, are three essential traits that psychologists deem necessary for friendships to thrive.

To clarify an area of contention regarding the relationship between David and Jonathan, the Hebrew word for love used in 1 Samuel, in the context of their friendship, has clear diplomatic and platonic friendship implications. David and Jonathan are a fantastic example of the male friendship that we often lack in our modern culture—men don't often form such close bonds. God created both men and women to be able to establish these intimate, life-long friendships. To strive for less is to miss out on something wonderful.

Moses and Aaron

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The partnership of Moses and Aaron is one of the greatest examples of two friends working together to do something great.

God created marriage to show the world an example of His character—to display His love in the form of the bond between two human beings. Friendships do the same. God sometimes blesses us with friends who compliment us perfectly, who help us achieve more than we ever could alone. Sometimes we receive that friend, and sometimes we are called to be that friend—and if we listen to that call, becoming the best friend that we can be, we become a great blessing to someone.

Moses was a great leader who, for whatever reason, feared to speak publicly. When he quailed at the thought of speaking to Pharaoh, God appointed Moses’s brother, Aaron, as his speaker and supporter. Aaron gladly did this, speaking for Moses, and supporting him in all the ways he needed.

Good partnerships like this make for excellent friendships. Sometimes, God calls us into the life of another so that our weaknesses might be made less, and so that we may fill in those same gaps for someone else. Together, Moses and Aaron accomplished one of the most glorious rescues in all of history, and all because they were willing to work together to accomplish God’s will.

Elijah and Elisha

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Elijah, the well-known prophet of Israel, was the man who called down the fires of heaven, defeating the prophets of Baal, and the man who caused a drought in Israel for three years through prayer. To help him carry out his work, God saw fit to send Elijah a friend and eventual successor, the younger Elisha.

Their holy friendship displays another important aspect—the purposeful choosing of friends. Elisha attaches himself to Elijah, imploring the older man not to leave him in 2 Kings 2:2. Responding to Elijah’s declaration that he was leaving for Bethel, Elisha exclaims, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” Elisha was absolutely devoted to his friend, to his mentor, because he knew the older man would make an excellent guide.

It is important to choose friends who are wise and holy and passionate about what they do—after all, we tend to become like our peers. In bringing himself close to Elijah, Elisha prepared himself for his destiny, finding the mentor and friend who would help him become a worthy prophet and servant of God.

Naomi and Ruth

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The story of Naomi and her daughter-in-law, Ruth, is one of friendship found in an unlikely place. How many of us have heard the all-too-common jokes made about in-laws—particularly mother-in-laws? And how many of us have ever found a best friend in our mother-in-law?

Ruth, married to one of Naomi’s sons, did. Years after that son died, along with Naomi’s husband and other son, Naomi encouraged her daughters-in-law to go back to their families in Moab. Orpah, one of Naomi’s daughters-in-law, left, but not Ruth—Ruth stayed, pledging her life to the now-destitute Naomi in Ruth 1:16-17, saying “Don’t urge me to leave you or turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.”

Ruth refused to let Naomi be completely alone, and went with her when she traveled to Bethlehem, helping her to survive as a lone woman in a patriarchal society, gathering food, and eventually having a son that gave Naomi a sense of family again—a son who would go on to be the grandfather of the same David we learned about earlier.

Again, this friendship shows us the value of loyalty, of unconditional love and self-sacrifice. Ruth didn’t hesitate to give when Naomi was in need. This is the kind of action that creates the strongest of friendships, and gives us a sense of security—we know that when we’re in trouble, someone will be there for us.

Christ and Mankind

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Finally, there is the ultimate example of friendship—not just of friendship, but of relationship—that between man and Christ. Jesus, in John 15:13 says that “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

Christ is the purest example of a friend we can find in the Bible, laying down His life—His extraordinarily valuable life—for the friends, whom he loved. Although he had the power to call those around Him His servants, He called them friend, instead.

Christ also exemplified another much-needed attribute of a friend—he wasn’t afraid of giving lovingly constructive criticism. His simply phrase, “go and sin no more,” was not an insult. It was not hateful or violent, or shaming. It was a simple admonishment, and an encouragement to live differently. Christ was not afraid of pointing out the best way to live. He didn’t do this in a divisive way, however—He simply made His point, and then lived out what He taught. From this, we can learn what is often the most difficult part of being a friend—giving criticism that is in our friends’ best interest.