Proverbs 18:24
New International Version
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

New Living Translation
There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

English Standard Version
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Berean Standard Bible
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.

King James Bible
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

New King James Version
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

New American Standard Bible
A person of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

NASB 1995
A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

NASB 1977
A man of many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Legacy Standard Bible
A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Amplified Bible
The man of too many friends [chosen indiscriminately] will be broken in pieces and come to ruin, But there is a [true, loving] friend who [is reliable and] sticks closer than a brother.

Christian Standard Bible
One with many friends may be harmed, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
A man with many friends may be harmed, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.

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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
There are friends who are friends, and there is a friend that is closer than a brother.

Contemporary English Version
Some friends don't help, but a true friend is closer than your own family.

Douay-Rheims Bible
A man amiable in society, shall be more friendly than a brother.

English Revised Version
He that maketh many friends doeth it to his own destruction: but there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Friends can destroy one another, but a loving friend can stick closer than family.

Good News Translation
Some friendships do not last, but some friends are more loyal than brothers.

International Standard Version
A man with many friends can still be ruined, but a true friend sticks closer than a brother.

JPS Tanakh 1917
There are friends that one hath to his own hurt; But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Literal Standard Version
A man with friends—to show himself friendly, | And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!

Majority Standard Bible
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.

New American Bible
There are friends who bring ruin, but there are true friends more loyal than a brother.

NET Bible
A person who has friends may be harmed by them, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

New Revised Standard Version
Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.

New Heart English Bible
A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Webster's Bible Translation
A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

World English Bible
A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Young's Literal Translation
A man with friends is to show himself friendly, And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Selfishness of the Unfriendly
23The poor man pleads for mercy, but the rich man answers harshly. 24A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.

Cross References
John 15:14
You are My friends if you do what I command you.

John 15:15
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 27:10
Do not forsake your friend or your father's friend, and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity; better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.


Treasury of Scripture

A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

that hath

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 27:9
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.

1 Samuel 19:4,5
And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to theeward very good: …

there

2 Samuel 1:26
I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

John 15:14,15
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you…

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Adhering Closer Companions Destruction Friend Friendly Friends Hurt Keeps Lover Maketh Nearer Pretend Ruin Ruined Shew Show Sticks
Proverbs 18
1. A fool delights not in understanding














(24) A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly.--Rather, a man of many friends will suffer loss, for he will impoverish himself by constant hospitality, and in trouble they will desert him (Psalm 41:9); but "there is a friend," one in a thousand, "that sticketh closer than a brother." (Comp. Proverbs 17:17.)

Verse 24. - A man that hath friends must show himself friendly. The Authorized Version is certainly not correct. The Hebrew is literally, a man of friends will come to destruction. The word הִתְרועֵעַ (hithroea) is the hithp, infinitive of רעע, "to break or destroy" (comp. Isaiah 24:19); and the maxim means that the man of many friends, who lays himself out to make friends of bad and good alike, does so to his own ruin. They will feed upon him, and exhaust his resources, but will not stand by him in the day of calamity, nay, rather will give a helping hand to his downfall. It is not the number of so called friends that is really useful and precious. But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother (Proverbs 17:17; Proverbs 27:10).

Νόμιζ ἀδελφοὺς τοὺς ἀληθινοὺς φίλους.

"Thy true friends hold as very brethren." The Vulgate has, Vir amabilis ad societatem magis amicus erit quam frater, "A man amiable in intercourse will be more of a friend than even a brother."

. . .

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A man
אִ֣ישׁ (’îš)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

of many companions
רֵ֭עִים (rê·‘îm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 7453: Friend, companion, fellow

may come to ruin,
לְהִתְרֹעֵ֑עַ (lə·hiṯ·rō·‘ê·a‘)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hitpael - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7489: To spoil, to make, good for, nothing, bad

but there is
וְיֵ֥שׁ (wə·yêš)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb
Strong's 3426: Being, substance, existence, is

a friend
אֹ֝הֵ֗ב (’ō·hêḇ)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 157: To have affection f

who stays closer
דָּבֵ֥ק (dā·ḇêq)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 1695: A clinging, cleaving

than a brother.
מֵאָֽח׃ (mê·’āḥ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 18:24 A man of many companions may be (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 18:23
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