Proverbs 18:24
King James Version (KJV)
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Translations
Proverbs 18:24 - Amplified Bible
The man of many friends [a friend of all the world] will prove himself a bad friend, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24 - American Standard Version
He that maketh many friends doeth it to his own destruction; But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24 - Bible in Basic English
There are friends who may be a man's destruction, but there is a lover who keeps nearer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24 - Darby Bible
A man of [many] friends will come to ruin but there is a friend [that] sticketh closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24 - English Standard Version
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24 - King James Version
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24 - La Biblia de las Americas
El hombre de muchos amigos se arruina,
pero hay amigo más unido que un hermano.
Proverbs 18:24 - The Message
Friends come and friends go,
but a true friend sticks by you like family.
Proverbs 18:24 - New American Standard Bible
A man of {too many} friends {comes} to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy
El hombre de muchos amigos se arruina,
Pero hay amigo más unido que un hermano.
Proverbs 18:24 - World English Bible
A man of many companions may be ruined, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24 - Young's Living Translation
A man with friends [is] to show himself friendly, And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!
Proverbs 18:24 - Additional Comments
Need a friend? Be a friend. True friendship has mutual concern for the needs of the other, has the other's best interest in mind. Don't demand their friendship, simply be a friend to them.
Odd - the term translated here as 'friendly' is translated 'ruin' in NASB and NIV, 'destruction' in the Basic English translation. The Hebrew word is ra'a', and it means to spoil (lit. by breaking to pieces); fig. to make (or be) good for nothing, i.e. bad (phys., soc. or mor.):do harm, (do) hurt, be (deal, do) worse. It seems the first phase is best translated "A man with many companions will come to ruin". This means we should have a few deep relationships rather than many shallow relationships. If you multiply the shallow ones, it is difficult to grow deep ones.
Also, we need to be careful of who we have deep relationships with - 1 Cor 15:33. You become much like those you spend time with - it is inevitable.
'Phileo" love (e.g. John 11:3) is friendship love (as compared to 'eros', physical, or 'agape', godly (Eph 5:2)). Since friendship is a type of love, we can study the characteristics of love (e.g. 1 Cor 13:4-7), and generally it will apply to friendship.
This verse, along with Prov 17:17, shows that the strongest bonds of friendship are actually stronger than the bond of blood brothers. Blood brothers are in that position not by choice, but a friend is by choice. This is the love that God desired when He gave us a will to choose or reject Him - He knew if we chose Him, our love for Him would be greater than if we had been placed in the position without a choice.
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