Outline for Friendship Project

  STALL: Longhand @ Ramah Sauna on 12Jan26

'Friend' is 2026 The One Word.  Scripture exposes different kinds of friends:

1. rê·‘îm @H7453 (most common in OT): brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbor, another...Or reya2 {ray'-ah}; from ra'ah; an associate (more or less close) -- brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbour, X (an-)other.
2.  (aw-hab') @H157: to have affection for (sexually or otherwise)...The verb אֹהֵב / אָהַב appears about 209 times across the Old Testament, describing the full range of affectionate commitment between persons, between God and humanity, and even toward abstract ideals. Whether whispered in tender poetry or thundered through prophetic rebuke, its occurrences trace a unified theology of covenant devotion that finds its consummation in the New Testament command to love God and neighbor.
3. (raw-aw') @H7462: X break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep (sheep)(-er), pastor, + shearing house, shepherd, wander, waste...רָעָה carries the life-oriented idea of tending, feeding, and leading—whether flocks, people, or one’s own heart. Its 164 Old Testament occurrences span narrative, poetry, prophecy, and wisdom literature, keeping before the reader a single, integrated picture of shepherding that is both literal and metaphorical.
1. raah @ H7462a: to pasture, tend, graze
2. raah @ H7462b: probably to associate with
3. raah @ H7462c: to be a special friend
4. (ray-eh') @H7463: From ra'ah; a (male) companion -- friend....Reʿeh denotes a close, dependable companion whose loyalty is tested and proven. While English translations usually render the term “friend,” the contexts in which it appears show more than casual fellowship; the word signals covenantal commitment, often tied to the welfare of a king or household.
5. rê·‘ă·ḵem derived from Job 6:27 @H7489: afflict, associate selves (by mistake for H7462), break (down, in pieces), + displease, (be, bring, do) evil (doer, entreat, man), show self friendly (by mistake for H7462), do harm, (do) hurt, (behave self, deal) ill, X indeed, do mischief, punish, still, vex, (do) wicked (doer, -ly), be (deal, do) worse...afflict 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) -- afflict, associate selves (by mistake for ra'ah), break (down, in pieces), + displease, (be, bring, do) evil (doer, entreat, man), show self friendly (by mistake for ra'ah), do harm, (do) hurt, (behave self, deal) ill, X indeed, do mischief, punish, still, vex, (do) wicked (doer, -ly), be (deal, do) worse.
6. (fee'-los) @G5384: a friend; someone dearly loved (prized) in a personal, intimate way; a trusted confidant, held dear in a close bond of personal affection...Though φίλος can be rendered simply “friend,” the word carries a spectrum of relational commitments that range from informal companionship to covenant loyalty. Its 29 New Testament appearances paint a portrait of friendship that is practical, missional, and ultimately theological.
7. (het-ah'-ee-ros) @G2083: properly, a companion (normally an imposter), posing to be a comrade but in reality only has his own interests in mind...Greek 2083 (ἑταῖρος) appears only three times in the New Testament, all on the lips of Jesus in the Gospel according to Matthew. Although the word can connote warm camaraderie, each Gospel setting places it on the edge of rebuke. The Lord employs it not to affirm fellowship but to expose a discrepancy between appearance and reality.
8. (fil-ee'-ah) @G5373: fondness or friendship...The term φιλία denotes affectionate alliance springing from shared values or interests. In classical literature Aristotle counted it essential to civic life; in Hellenistic society it implied loyalty expressed through tangible acts. This cultural backdrop underscores why James selects the word to confront divided allegiance among believers scattered in the Greco-Roman world.
9. mə·ṯê derived from (soos-tref'-o) @G4962: To twist together, to gather, to roll up...The verb translated from Strong’s Greek number 4962 carries the picture of things or people being “drawn tightly together,” whether in a physical bundle or in corporate unity. Both New Testament occurrences show this two-sided nuance: one literal, one communal.

Opportunity includes consideration of friendship at each level of inside out living.  Christ called disciples friends; Naudia is a friend; adult children can? be friends; professionalism includes "making friends", extended family as friends and world citizenship as friendship.