Friendship betrayal is an extremely unpleasant event that is universal to all cultures and eras. The Bible is filled with vivid descriptions of friendships gone bad that shed light on the intricacies of interpersonal relationships. The tales of Judas Iscariot’s betrayal of Jesus through a kiss and Absalom’s scheme against King David illustrate the unfiltered feelings and repercussions of betrayal. Studying the biblical passages that deal with friend betrayal gives us insight into the historical setting as well as timeless wisdom that helps us deal with the complexities of loyalty and trust in our own lives.
Bible Verses About Betrayal By Friends
1. Psalm 41:9
“Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.”
2. Proverbs 27:6
“Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
3. Matthew 26:50
“Jesus replied, ‘Do what you came for, friend.’ Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.”
4. Luke 22:48
“But Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?'”
5. Proverbs 19:22
“What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar.”
6. Proverbs 18:24
“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
7. Matthew 10:36
“a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.”
8. Psalm 55:12-14
“If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were rising against me, I could hide. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.”
9. Micah 7:5-6
“Do not trust a neighbor; put no confidence in a friend. Even with the woman who lies in your embrace guard the words of your lips. For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.”
10. Zechariah 13:6
“If someone asks, ‘What are these wounds on your body?’ they will answer, ‘The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.’”
Exploring Biblical Perspectives on Betrayal from Close Associates
11. Psalm 55:13-14
“But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers.”
12. Matthew 26:24
“The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
13. Mark 14:44
“Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: ‘The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.'”
14. Luke 22:3-4
“Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.”
15. John 13:18-19
“I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned against me.’ I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.”
16. Acts 1:16
“and said, ‘Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus.'”
17. John 18:2-3
“Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons.”
18. Acts 5:3-4
“Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.'”
19. Acts 5:7-8
“About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, ‘Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?’ ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘that is the price.’ Peter said to her, ‘How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.'”
20. 2 Samuel 15:12
“While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.”
Friendship Betrayal in the Bible: Lessons and Reflections
21. Proverbs 16:28
“A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.”
22. Proverbs 22:24-25
“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.”
23. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”
24. Proverbs 17:17
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”
25. Proverbs 27:9
“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.”
26. Ecclesiastes 7:5
“It is better to heed the rebuke of a wise person than to listen to the song of fools.”
27. Proverbs 27:17
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
28. Proverbs 27:10
“Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you— better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.”
29. Ecclesiastes 4:12
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
30. Proverbs 17:9
“Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.”
Navigating Betrayal in Relationships: Biblical Guidance
31. Luke 6:31
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
32. Romans 12:17
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.”
33. Ephesians 4:32
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
34. Colossians 3:13
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
35. Matthew 18:21-22
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'”
36. Proverbs 24:29
“Do not say, ‘I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.'”
37. Luke 17:3-4
“So watch yourselves. ‘If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.'”
38. Matthew 5:44
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
39. Proverbs 25:21-22
“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
40. Romans 12:19-21
“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Profound Scriptures on Dealing with Betrayal from Friends
41. Matthew 26:14-15
“Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?’ So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.”
42. Psalm 55:20-21
“My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. His talk is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.”
43. Proverbs 19:5
“A false witness will not go unpunished, and whoever pours out lies will not go free.”
44. Proverbs 26:24-25
“Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit. Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.”
45. Psalm 55:21
“His speech is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, yet they are drawn swords.”
46. Matthew 24:10
“At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other.”
47. Proverbs 11:13
“A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.”
48. Proverbs 27:5-6
“Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
49. Matthew 10:21
“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.”
50. Luke 21:16
“You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.”
Unveiling the Depth of Betrayal Through Biblical Narratives
51. Genesis 37:18-28
“They saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. ‘Here comes that dreamer!’ they said to each other. ‘Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.’ When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. ‘Let’s not take his life,’ he said. ‘Don’t shed any blood.
Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.’ Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it. As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead.
Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, ‘What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.’ His brothers agreed. So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.”
52. 2 Samuel 15:12-13
“While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from Giloh, his hometown. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.”
53. 2 Samuel 15:31
“Now David had been told, ‘Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.’ So David prayed, ‘Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.'”
54. 2 Samuel 17:1-4
“Ahithophel said to Absalom, ‘I would choose twelve thousand men and set out tonight in pursuit of David. I would attack him while he is weary and weak. I would strike him with terror, and then all the people with him will flee. I would strike down only the king and bring all the people back to you. The death of the man you seek will mean the return of all; all the people will be unharmed.’ This plan seemed good to Absalom and to all the elders of Israel.”
55. 2 Samuel 17:14
“Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ‘The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel.’ For the Lord had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.”
56. Matthew 10:21-22
“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
57. Luke 22:47-48
“While he was still speaking, a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus asked him, ‘Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?'”
58. John 13:21-27
“After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, ‘Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.’ His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, ‘Ask him which one he means.’ Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.’ Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.”
59. Acts 1:16-18
“and said, ‘Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. He was one of our number and shared in our ministry.’ With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.”
60. Acts 5:1-5
“Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.’ When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.”
Conclusion
Examining the Bible passages pertaining to friend betrayal reveals a tapestry of stories that illustrate the depths of human weakness and the tenacity of faith. These tales, which range from the betrayal of Jesus by one of his closest followers to the political intrigue in the ancient kings’ courts, serve as a constant reminder that betrayal can occur from the most unexpected places.
But in the middle of suffering and disappointment, the Bible provides consolation and direction, calling us to ask for forgiveness, develop discernment, and finally put our faith in God’s unwavering faithfulness. May we be given the fortitude to handle the difficulties of interpersonal relationships with grace, forgiveness, and unwavering faith as we consider these timeless principles.
