Most of the Old Testament words translated "friend, " "friendship, " or "be friendly" come from two Hebrew roots, rh and hb.The most common terms for friend are reeh and oheb, [b;hoa] mean "one who loves." In both Testaments the ideas of friend and friendship involve three components: association, loyalty, and affection. There are also three levels of meaning: friendship as association only; friendship as association plus loyalty; and friendship as association plus loyalty plus affection.

We discover that Job’s friends have a bad theology. What we believe matters and it affects our relationships with others. Job’s friend blames him for the tragedies in his life.

Regrettably, Job’s friends are not able to endure the mystery of his suffering, so they jump to conclusions about its source. The first of the three, Eliphaz, acknowledges that Job has been a source of strength to others.

But then he turns and puts the blame for Job’s suffering squarely on Job himself.

Job’s second friend, Bildad, says much the same.

The third friend, Zophar, repeats the refrain.

Their reasoning is a syllogism. God sends calamities upon wicked people only. You have suffered a calamity. Therefore, you must be wicked. Job himself avoids this false syllogism. But it is very commonly accepted by Christians. It is called a theology of divine retribution, and it assumes that God blesses those who are faithful to him and punishes those who sin. It is not entirely without biblical support. There are many cases in which God sends calamity as a punishment, as for example he did at Sodom.

Often, our experiences do bear out this theological position. In most situations, things turn out better when we follow God’s ways than when we forsake them. However, God does not always work that way. Jesus himself pointed out that disaster is not necessarily a sign of God’s judgment.

In Job’s case, we know the theology of divine retribution is not true because God says that Job is a righteous man.

Job’s friends’ devastating error is to apply a generalization to Job’s situation, without knowing what they’re talking about. The same error can be made in interpreting the Psalms and the Proverbs. Proverbs are general truths but they don’t always happen and must be taken in context to the passage that surrounds the verses and the context of looking at other books of the Bible.

We see that Job has fair weather friends. He complains about their lack of faithfulness. Friends are there for good and bad times.

Job asked for help and understanding. However, their help evaporated and they gave him judgment and not understanding.

Jonathan established a covenant with David. The friendship between David and Jonathan was a covenantal relationship. In 1 Samuel 18:1-5, we read of David and Jonathan forming an agreement. In this agreement, Jonathan was to be second in command in David’s future reign, and David was to protect Jonathan’s family

Obviously, these two men were also very good friends. In their relationship we can see at least three qualities of true friendship. First, they sacrificed for one another. In 1 Samuel 18:4, we read that Jonathan gave David his clothes and military garb. The significance of this gift was that Jonathan recognized that David would one day be king of Israel. Rather than being envious or jealous, Jonathan submitted to God’s will and sacrificed his own right to the throne. Second, in 1 Samuel 19:1-3, we read of Jonathan’s loyalty toward and defense of David. King Saul told his followers to kill David. Jonathan rebuked his father and recalled David’s faithfulness to him in killing Goliath. Finally, Jonathan and David were also free to express their emotions with one another. In 1 Samuel 20, we read of a plan concocted by Jonathan to reveal his father’s plans toward David. Jonathan was going to practice his archery. If he told his servant that the arrows he shot were to the side of the target, David was safe. If Jonathan told his servant that the arrows were beyond the target, David was to leave and not return. Jonathan told the servant that the arrows were beyond the target, meaning that David should flee. After releasing his servant, Jonathan found David and the two men cried together.

Jonathan took risks when he knew that David was righteous. Jonathan risked the wrath of his father when he protected David.

Jonathan and David were not friends because they came from the same social or economic group. David had been the son of a shepherd and Jonathan the son of a king. Their friendship was genuine. Job’s friends respected him when he had a good reputation and a great deal of money and influence.