Proverbs 18:24 is one of the most popular verses about friendship. However, only a few people really understand what it really means. Not only that but there’s a big confusion on how Proverbs 18:24 should be translated. Thus, in this post, let us go deeper into understanding what Proverbs 18:24 means and the lessons we can learn from it.
What you will learn:
- What is the correct translation of Proverbs 18:24?
- Why is there a huge difference in the translation of Proverbs 18:24?
- Understanding Proverbs 18:24
- What does it mean for “a man who has friends must himself be friendly?”
- What does it mean for “a man of many companions may come to ruin?”
- What does “but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” mean?
- 1. A true friend is there for you
- 2. A true friend can be closer than a brother
- 3. Choose the right kind of friends
- God and His Son as Our Best Friends
- What kind of friend are you?
What is the correct translation of Proverbs 18:24?
There has been confusion on how Proverbs 18:24 should be translated. What’s more interesting is that the two most common translations of this verse are not closely related.
Check out how the New King James Version (NKJV) renders Proverbs 18:24:
24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
The Old King James Version has a similar translation. According to my research, it seems that this translation is the least common way of translating Proverbs 18:24.
I found two other Bible versions that follow this thought:
Literal Standard Version
A man with friends—to show himself friendly, | And there is a lover adhering more 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!
This is the least common way of translating Proverbs 18:24. Today, most Bible translations would translate Proverbs 18:24, which says that a man with many unreliable friends would come to ruin. Here are the translations:
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).
New International Version
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).
New Living Translation
There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks 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).
Berean Standard Bible
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays 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 (Proverbs 18:24).
NASB 1995
A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).
Why is there a huge difference in the translation of Proverbs 18:24?
Here’s the explanation given by Nelson’s NKJV Study Bible about Proverbs 18:24:
“This is a difficult verse to translate because of confusion over an ambiguous Hebrew word translated here as be friendly. This translation takes it to mean ‘to make oneself pleasing’ as in 1 Samuel. 29:4. To have friends one must be friendly. But the word could also mean ‘to beat each other up’ as in Is. 24:19. Then the verse could be translated, ‘Sometimes even friends destroy each other, but there is a Friend who loves more faithfully than a brother’.”
I did additional research on this. What I read from various sources is that the difficulty in translation arises from the fact that the Hebrew word used in Proverbs 18:24 could have three meanings:
- To be companions
- To be broken, be broken in pieces, be broken asunder
- To shout in triumph or joy
So, which one is the correct translation?
In my current understanding, the two translations are acceptable. Both translations offer wise insights into how friendship works. Although, I would lean more on the translation of the New King James Version. In this case, you would need to check which translation speaks more strongly to you or which one applies to you.
Nevertheless, let’s take a look at the deeper meaning and lessons from Proverbs 18:24.
Understanding Proverbs 18:24
Since there are two translations here, let me explain each of them. Thankfully, most Bible translations today agree with how the second part of the verse should be rendered.
What does it mean for “a man who has friends must himself be friendly?”
Let’s go first to the first translation from the New King James Version. It says:
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Here are the lessons we can learn from the first part of this proverb:
1. We must be friendly so we can make friends
The wise King Solomon tells us how to make friends and keep them. While it might be common sense that we should be friendly if we want friends, sometimes, common sense isn’t commonly used. A lot of people today love to argue, quarrel, and even fight other people. Then, they wonder why they don’t have a lot of friends.
2. We reap what we sow
The Bible tells us that we will reap what we sow in Galatians 6:7:
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
This supports what Proverbs 18:24 says. If we sow friendliness, we will also reap friendliness. Although this might not always be true since there are people who pay evil for good, the general principle is always true. Ultimately, if we are friendly, we reap our reward once Jesus Christ (Yahshua) would return here to earth.
3. We should think of giving rather than getting
In order for us to keep our friends, we must not simply think about what we get out of the relationship. Being friendly means that you think about the welfare of your friends. You don’t take advantage of them or use them to achieve your selfish goals.
What does it mean for “a man of many companions may come to ruin?”
Now, let’s go to the other translation. Let’s use ESV’s translation here:
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Here are the important lessons we can learn here from the statement, “A man of many companions may come to ruin.”
1. Not all friends are true friends
Proverbs 18:24 tells us that not all those who you consider friends are real friends. There are people who are friendly to you during the good times. However, when the storms of life come crashing on you, these so-called friends are not there for you.
This reminds me of the story of the Prodigal Son. We read in Luke 15:11-16:
11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
The prodigal son had a lot of “friends” when he still had money. When he has something to offer to his companions, they are there for him. Undeniably, he has a lot of companions.
It is quite true that the richer you get, the more friends you will have who will help you spend that money. When the prodigal son lost everything, not even one of those friends came to his rescue.
2. Having a lot of companions doesn’t guarantee success
Our current society today will tell us that there is strength in numbers. The more you have, the more secure you are. Yes, that could be true in some cases, but they are not an absolute guarantee.
Proverbs 18:24 tells us that you can have all the many friends and companions that you have, you can amass a great following, and you can create the biggest groups of supporters, but if you don’t really have a deep and strong connection with them, they will all leave you in times of adversity.
3. You need to cultivate a deep friendship
Real and true friendship is not found in quantity but in quality. If your main goal in making friends is for status, then you have the wrong motivation. If you think that the more friends you have, the happier you’ll become, then you are dead wrong.
A real, deep, and healthy friendship is what you need to look for. Invest in nourishing friendships. Spend time with your friends. Be there when they need you. Make sure you think about what you can give rather than what you can get from your relationship.
What does “but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” mean?
Now, we come to the second part of Proverbs 18:24. We read:
24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Here are the 3 lessons you can learn from it:
1. A true friend is there for you
A lot of people love to be friends with you when things are going smoothly. As long as they get something out of friendship, they will stay.
However, once the relationship will cost them time, energy, and money, they might not be there anymore for you. That’s what you call “fair-weathered friends.” They are just there when it’s all sunny. When the storm comes in, they simply leave.
A true friend is there for you no matter what — both in good times and bad times. They are willing to bear your burden. They are willing to go the extra mile with you.
I love to think about this analogy. Imagine yourself running a race. You are there in the tracking field running against other players. Your friends are there on the bleachers cheering for you. Most of your so-called friends will be there on the bleachers. However, there are a few of them who will not just cheer for you, but they will run with you. They are willing to run beside you and help you reach the finish line.
That’s what true friends are made of.
2. A true friend can be closer than a brother
What’s so amazing about true friends is they become family. As you can see, your family members and relatives are there for you primarily because they are related to you. They have an inborn responsibility to support you simply because you are their relative. So, in a way, a brother is born out of obligation and necessity. If they are not related to you, will they still help you?
Now, think about what a true friend is. A true friend is not born out of obligation. It’s a choice that one should make. Your friend is not obligated to help you. They can surely simply ignore you. Yet, they don’t. They are still here to help not because you are related to each other, but because they are your friends.
Sometimes, your blood relatives may already leave you, but true friends stay beside you. That’s why, King Solomon says that there are friends who will stick with you closer than a brother or sister.
3. Choose the right kind of friends
Proverbs 18:24 tells us that not all friends are the same. Thus, you must find friends who are true and real. Don’t settle for friends who are just there simply because they can get something for you. Don’t make friends simply because you want to become popular. Do your best to find a friend who will stick to you closer than a brother.
God and His Son as Our Best Friends
Proverbs 18:24 is a wise saying that reminds us that we should cultivate the right type of friendship. We should be careful about which friends we should choose.
Thankfully, there’s a friendship that we can NEVER go wrong and it is the friendship that we have with our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ (Yahshua).
Yahweh, the Most High, is our friend who is always there ready to listen to us. He knows us intimately. He understands us completely. He loves us and He wants the best for us. That’s why, we can always come to Him and share our innermost thoughts. We can talk to Him about our victories, our failures, our plans, our worries, and even the smallest matters in our life. There are no insignificant details in our life that God is not interested in.
Yahshua or popularly known as Jesus Christ is also our ultimate friend. He is undoubtedly the friend who sticks closer than a brother. He said in John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
Indeed, Yahshua wasn’t just there for us during the good times, but also in the bad times. Not only that, but He laid down His life for us to the point of dying on the cross or torture stake. He was ready to perform the ultimate sacrifice and die for us. Now, that’s what you call a true friend!
What kind of friend are you?
Proverbs 18:24 tells us about the two types of friends:
- The fair-weathered friends
- The friend who is closer than a brother
With this in mind, you need to ask yourself, “What kind of friends do you have?” Look at your friends today. Are those the type of friends who will be there for you no matter what? Or, are those the type of friends who are just there when things are good? I hope it’s the former.
However, there’s a more important question I need you to ask, “What kind of a friend are you?” You see, we might be too busy trying to figure out which friends are your true friends, but are you also a true friend to them? Are you there when they need you? Are you willing to sacrifice your time, energy, and money?
I hope that we all learn the important lessons from Proverbs 18:24. May we all understand how we can find true friends, how we can be true friends to others, and what the Bible says about friendship.
