Psalms 55:12-13

55:12 Indeed, ¹  it is not an enemy who insults me,

or else I could bear it;

it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me, ² 

or else I could hide from him.

55:13 But it is you, ³  a man like me, ⁴ 

my close friend in whom I confided. ⁵ 

Jeremiah 9:5

9:5 One friend deceives another

and no one tells the truth.

These people have trained themselves ⁶  to tell lies.

They do wrong and are unable to repent.

Micah 7:5

7:5 Do not rely on a friend;

do not trust a companion!

Don’t even share secrets with the one who lies in your arms! ⁷ 

Matthew 26:49-50

26:49 Immediately ⁸  he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi,” and kissed him. ⁹  26:50 Jesus ¹⁰  said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and took hold ¹¹  of Jesus and arrested him.

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 ¹²  when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. ¹³ 

John 13:18

The Announcement of Jesus’ Betrayal

13:18 “What I am saying does not refer to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture, ¹⁴  ‘The one who eats my bread ¹⁵  has turned against me.’ ¹⁶ 

¹ tn Or “for.”

² tn Heb “[who] magnifies against me.” See Pss 35:26; 38:16.

³ sn It is you. The psalmist addresses the apparent ringleader of the opposition, an individual who was once his friend.

⁴ tn Heb “a man according to my value,” i.e., “a person such as I.”

⁵ tn Heb “my close friend, one known by me.”

⁶ tn Heb “their tongues.” However, this is probably not a natural idiom in contemporary English and the tongue may stand as a part for the whole anyway.

⁷ tn Heb “from the one who lies in your arms, guard the doors of your mouth.”

⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

⁹ sn Judas’ act of betrayal when he kissed Jesus is especially sinister when it is realized that it was common in the culture of the times for a disciple to kiss his master when greeting him.

¹⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹¹ tn Grk “and put their hands on Jesus.”

¹² tn Grk “rejoices with joy” (an idiom).

¹³ tn Grk “Therefore this my joy is fulfilled.”

¹⁴ tn Grk “But so that the scripture may be fulfilled.”

¹⁵ tn Or “The one who shares my food.”

¹⁶ tn Or “has become my enemy”; Grk “has lifted up his heel against me.” The phrase “to lift up one’s heel against someone” reads literally in the Hebrew of Ps 41 “has made his heel great against me.” There have been numerous interpretations of this phrase, but most likely it is an idiom meaning “has given me a great fall,” “has taken cruel advantage of me,” or “has walked out on me.” Whatever the exact meaning of the idiom, it clearly speaks of betrayal by a close associate. See E. F. F. Bishop, “‘He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me’ – Jn xiii.18 (Ps xli.9),” ExpTim 70 (1958-59): 331-33.