Friend

Friend Usage Number: 1
Strong's Number: H7453
Original Word: rea‘

Usage Notes: "friend; companion; fellow." This noun appears about 187 times in the Bible. The word refers to a "friend" in 2Sa 13:3: "But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab." The word may be used of a husband (Jer 3:20) or a lover (Song 5:16).

In another sense, rea‘ may be used of any person with whom one has reciprocal relations: "And they said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots …" (Jonah 1:7). The word also appears in such phrases as "one another," found in Gen 11:3: "And they said one to another …" (cf. Gen 31:49). Other related nouns that appear less frequently are re‘eh, which means "friend" about 5 times (e.g., 1Kings 4:5); and re‘â, which means "companion or attendant" (Judg 11:38; Psa 45:14).