Have you ever felt betrayed by someone you considered a friend? Fake friends can cause deep emotional pain, leaving you questioning the sincerity of your relationships. The Bible offers wisdom and guidance on this topic, helping us navigate the complexities of human relationships. This blog post explores 33 Bible verses about fake friends, providing spiritual insights and practical advice to help you discern true friendships.
Understanding Fake Friends in the Bible
Biblical Definition of Friendship
The Bible tells us friendship as a relationship founded on love, trust, and mutual respect. Proverbs 17:17 states, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity,” highlighting the steadfast nature of true friendship.
Characteristics of Fake Friends
Fake friends are characterized by deceit, betrayal, and self-serving motives. Proverbs 27:6 warns, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses,” indicating that false friends often mask their intentions with flattery and deceit.
Key Bible Verses About Fake Friends
Old Testament Verses About False Friends
Psalms
- Psalm 55:12-14: “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.” This verse poignantly captures the pain of betrayal by a close friend.
Proverbs
- Proverbs 19:4: “Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.” This highlights how some friendships are based on material gain rather than genuine affection.
- Proverbs 25:19: “Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.” This verse emphasizes the unreliability of fake friends in times of need.
New Testament Verses About Fake Friends
Gospels
- Matthew 26:48-50: “Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.’ Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him. Jesus replied, ‘Do what you came for, friend.'” Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus is a stark example of false friendship.
| Verse | Reference |
|---|---|
| “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.” | Proverbs 17:17 |
| “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.'” | 1 Corinthians 15:33 |
| “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.” | Proverbs 27:9 |
| “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.” | Proverbs 27:5 |
| “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” | Proverbs 27:17 |
| “But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend.” | Psalm 55:13 |
Epistles
- 2 Timothy 3:1-5: “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” This passage warns against associating with those who exhibit these negative traits, often found in fake friends.
List of Bible Verses About Fake Friends
1. Proverbs 27:6 (NIV): “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
2. Psalm 41:9 (NIV): “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.”
3. Proverbs 16:28 (NIV): “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.”
4. Proverbs 17:17 (NIV): “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”
5. Job 19:19 (NIV): “All my intimate friends detest me; those I love have turned against me.”
6. Proverbs 25:19 (NIV): “Like a broken tooth or a lame foot is reliance on the unfaithful in a time of trouble.”
7. Matthew 7:15 (NIV): “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”
8. Proverbs 19:4 (NIV): “Wealth attracts many friends, but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.”
9. John 15:13 (NIV): “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
10. Proverbs 18:24 (NIV): “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
11. Psalm 55:12-14 (NIV): “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.”
12. Proverbs 20:19 (NIV): “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid anyone who talks too much.”
13. Jeremiah 9:4 (NIV): “Beware of your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan. For every one of them is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer.”
14. Proverbs 22:24-25 (NIV): “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.”
15. Micah 7:5-6 (NIV): “Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with the woman who lies in your embrace guard the words of your lips. For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.”
16. Psalm 55:20-21 (NIV): “My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.”
17. Proverbs 26:23-25 (NIV): “Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware are fervent lips with an evil heart. Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.”
18. Matthew 26:49-50 (NIV): “Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed him. Jesus replied, ‘Do what you came for, friend.’ Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.”
19. Proverbs 27:9 (NIV): “Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.”
20. Proverbs 27:5-6 (NIV): “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
21. Luke 6:26 (NIV): “Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.”
22. Psalm 55:12-14 (NIV): “For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance.”
23. Proverbs 14:6-7 (NIV): “The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. Stay away from a fool, for you will not find knowledge on their lips.”
24. Job 6:15 (NIV): “But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams, as the streams that overflow.”
25. Ecclesiastes 4:10 (NIV): “If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
26. Psalm 12:2 (NIV): “Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.”
27. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NIV): “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God—having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”
28. Psalm 55:13 (NIV): “But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God.”
29. Proverbs 12:26 (NIV): “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”
30. Psalm 41:9 (NIV): “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.”
31. Matthew 26:14-16 (NIV): “Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted
out for him thirty pieces of silver. From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.”
32. Proverbs 22:24-25 (NIV): “Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.”
33. Romans 16:17-18 (NIV): “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.”
Conclusion
Fake friends can cause profound emotional distress and challenge our trust in others. However, the Bible offers wisdom and guidance on recognizing and dealing with insincere friendships. By reflecting on these verses, we can find comfort and strength in God’s word, helping us navigate our relationships with discernment and grace.
FAQS
What does the Bible say about toxic friends?
A glance at the book of Proverbs reminds us: “Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare” (Prov. 13:20 ).
What does the Bible say about unreliable friends?
Proverbs 18:24 In-Context
23 The poor plead for mercy, but the rich answer harshly. 24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
What does the Bible say about a trusted friend?
It means that he will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), that he will be with us until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20), that he will help us and uphold us with his righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10), and countless other promises found in scripture. He is truly a friend who loves at all times.
What does the Bible say about distancing yourself from friends?
“Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters” (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18). When it comes to becoming familiar with sin, God would have us keep our distance.
What Bible verse talks about fake friends?
The Bible features many verses about fake friends, including these key verses: Proverbs 12:26: “The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” Psalm 41:9: “Even my close friend, someone I trusted, has failed me. I even shared my bread with him.”
What does Jesus say about broken friendship?
It’s worth it to overlook an offense if you can, and to trust God is working in you and your friend’s heart, to pray for wisdom, love, and reconciliation, to rebuke gently, and to be ready to forgive. Christ teaches “greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
What does God say about friendship problems?
A good friend should draw you near Jesus. We are warned that bad company corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33) and in this, I think God was giving us permission to end a friendship.
What are the qualities of a bad friend in the Bible?
Proverbs 17:17 (NKJV) says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” A bad friend may disrespect you, belittle you, or disregard your boundaries and needs. Examples of Bad Friendships in the Bible.
What is the hurt of a sincere friend in the Bible?
6 Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy. 6 The wounds from a lover are worth it; kisses from an enemy do you in. 6 The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.