John 3:29

3:29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly ¹  when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. ² 

John 15:13-15

15:13 No one has greater love than this – that one lays down his life ³  for his friends. 15:14 You are my friends ⁴  if you do what I command you. 15:15 I no longer call you slaves, ⁵  because the slave does not understand ⁶  what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything ⁷  I heard ⁸  from my Father.

Exodus 33:11

33:11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, ⁹  the way a person speaks ¹⁰  to a friend. Then Moses ¹¹  would return to the camp, but his servant, Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent. ¹² 

Exodus 33:2

33:2 I will send an angel ¹³  before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. ¹⁴ 

Exodus 20:7

20:7 “You shall not take ¹⁵  the name of the Lord your God in vain, ¹⁶  for the Lord will not hold guiltless ¹⁷  anyone who takes his name in vain.

Isaiah 41:8

The Lord Encourages His People

41:8 “You, my servant Israel,

Jacob whom I have chosen,

offspring of Abraham my friend, ¹⁸ 

James 2:23

2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” ¹⁹  and he was called God’s friend. ²⁰ 

¹ tn Grk “rejoices with joy” (an idiom).

² tn Grk “Therefore this my joy is fulfilled.”

³ tn Or “one dies willingly.”

⁴ sn This verse really explains John 15:10 in another way. Those who keep Jesus’ commandments are called his friends, those friends for whom he lays down his life (v. 13). It is possible to understand this verse as referring to a smaller group within Christianity as a whole, perhaps only the apostles who were present when Jesus spoke these words. Some have supported this by comparing it to the small group of associates and advisers to the Roman Emperor who were called “Friends of the Emperor.” Others would see these words as addressed only to those Christians who as disciples were obedient to Jesus. In either case the result would be to create a sort of “inner circle” of Christians who are more privileged than mere “believers” or average Christians. In context, it seems clear that Jesus’ words must be addressed to all true Christians, not just some narrower category of believers, because Jesus’ sacrificial death, which is his act of love toward his friends (v. 13) applies to all Christians equally (cf. John 13:1).

⁵ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

⁶ tn Or “does not know.”

⁷ tn Grk “all things.”

⁸ tn Or “learned.”

⁹ tn “Face to face” is circumstantial to the action of the verb, explaining how they spoke (see GKC 489-90 §156.c). The point of this note of friendly relationship with Moses is that Moses was “at home” in this tent speaking with God. Moses would derive courage from this when he interceded for the people (B. Jacob, Exodus, 966).

¹⁰ tn The verb in this clause is a progressive imperfect.

¹¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹² sn Moses did not live in the tent. But Joshua remained there most of the time to guard the tent, it seems, lest any of the people approach it out of curiosity.

¹³ sn This seems not to be the same as the Angel of the Presence introduced before.

¹⁴ sn See T. Ishida, “The Structure and Historical Implications of Lists of Pre-Israelite Nations,” Bib (1979): 461-90.

¹⁵ tn Or “use” (NCV, TEV); NIV, CEV, NLT “misuse”; NRSV “make wrongful use of.”

¹⁶ tn שָׁוְא (shav’, “vain”) describes “unreality.” The command prohibits use of the name for any idle, frivolous, or insincere purpose (S. R. Driver, Exodus, 196). This would include perjury, pagan incantations, or idle talk. The name is to be treated with reverence and respect because it is the name of the holy God.

¹⁷ tn Or “leave unpunished.”

¹⁸ tn Or perhaps, “covenantal partner” (see 1 Kgs 5:15 HT [5:1 ET]; 2 Chr 20:7).

¹⁹ sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.

²⁰ sn An allusion to 2 Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8; 51:2; Dan 3:35 (LXX), in which Abraham is called God’s “beloved.”