Proverbs 18:24
WEB
A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
BSB
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.
KJV
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H376
n-m — man
Derivation: contracted for 582 (or perhaps rather from an unused root meaning to be extant);
a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)
KJV: also, another, any (man), a certain, champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), none, one, people, person, steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy. Compare 802.
n.m — man
אִישׁ 2166 n.m. man (= vir)
H7453
n-m — associate
Derivation: or רֵיעַ; from 7462;
an associate (more or less close)
KJV: brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, × (an-) other.
n.m — friend
רֵעַ 187 n.m. friend, companion, fellow
H7489
v — spoil, make, be, good for nothing, bad
Derivation: a primitive root;
properly, to spoil (literally, by breaking to pieces); figuratively, to make (or be) good for nothing, i.e. bad (physically, socially or morally)
KJV: afflict, associate selves (by mistake for 7462), break (down, in pieces), displease, (be, bring, do) evil (doer, entreat, man), show self friendly (by mistake for 7462), do harm, (do) hurt, (behave self, deal) ill, × indeed, do mischief, punish, still, vex, (do) wicked (doer, -ly), be (deal, do) worse.
vb. denom — be evil
[רָעַע] 98 vb. denom. be evil, bad
Qal
1. be displeasing
2. be sad
3. be injurious, evil
4. be evil, wicked, ethically
Niph. suffer hurt
Hiph. 70
1. do an injury, hurt
2. do evil, wickedly
vb — break
[רָעַע] vb. break
Qal
1. trans. can one break iron, iron out of the north ?
2. intrans. break = be broken
Hithpō‛. the earth is broken asunder
H3426
prt — is, are, be
Derivation: perhaps from an unused root meaning to stand out, or exist; entity; used adverbially or as a copula for the substantive verb (1961);
there is or are (or any other form of the verb to be, as may suit the connection)
KJV: (there) are, (he, it, shall, there, there may, there shall, there should) be, thou do, had, hast, (which) hath, (I, shalt, that) have, (he, it, there) is, substance, it (there) was, (there) were, ye will, thou wilt, wouldest.
subst — being
יֵשׁ 137 subst. being, substance, existence
1. substance
2. elsewhere (prop. as a subst. in in the st. c.), it asserts existence, and so corresponds to the verb substantive, is (are, was, were, will be), lit. the being, presence of …
H157
v — have affection
Derivation: or אָהֵב ; a primitive root;
to have affection for (sexually or otherwise)
KJV: (be-) love(-d, -ly, -r), like, friend.
vb — love
אָהֵב 216 vb. love
Qal
1. human love to human object
2. less oft. of appetite
3. love to God
4. esp. Pt.
5. of divine love
Niph. Pt. pl. lovely, loveable
Pi.
1. friends
2. lovers
H1695
a — adhering
Derivation: from 1692;
adhering
KJV: cleave, joining, stick closer.
adj — clinging
דָּבֵק adj. clinging, cleaving (to)
H251
n-m — brother
Derivation: a primitive word;
a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance [like 1])
KJV: another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.
n.m — brother
אָח 630 n.m. brother
1. brother, born of same mother (& father)
2. indef. = relative
3. fig. of resemblance
4. in phr. one … another
Bible49 app
Get translation compare, commentary, and interlinear study — offline, on iPhone and Mac.
See Bible49
Verse 24
Proverbs 18:24
Solomon here recommends friendship to us, and shows, 1. What we must do that we may contract and cultivate friendship; we must show ourselves friendly. Would we have friends and keep them, we must not only not affront them, or quarrel with them, but we must love them, and make it appear that we do so by all expressions that are endearing, by being free with them, pleasing to them, visiting them and bidding them welcome, and especially by doing all the good offices we can and serving them in every thing that lies in our power; that is showing ourselves friendly.
Si vis amari, ama -
If you wish to gain affection, bestow it.
- Sen.
Ut ameris, amabilis esto -
The way to be beloved is to be lovely.
- Ovid.
2. That it is worth while to do so, for we may promise ourselves a great deal of comfort in a true friend. A brother indeed is born for adversity, as he had said, Pro 17:17. In our troubles we expect comfort and relief from our relations, but sometimes there is a friend, that is nothing akin to us, the bonds of whose esteem and love prove stronger than those of nature, and, when it comes to the trial, will do more for us than a brother will. Christ is a friend to all believers that sticks closer than a brother; to him therefore let them show themselves friendly.
Cross-references: Prov 17:17