How does 2 Samuel 23:33 connect with Proverbs 17:17 on friendship?

Setting the Scene in 2 Samuel 23:33

• “Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam son of Sharar the Hararite,”

• Two of David’s “mighty men,” listed near the end of the king’s life story

• Their inclusion proves they fought, bled, and stayed when others fled (cf. 2 Samuel 23:8–12, 16)

• Scripture records their names forever, underscoring God’s high view of loyal friendship

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Proverbs 17:17—The Principle

• “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

• Friendship in God’s design is constant (“at all times”) and especially tested in hardship (“adversity”)

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How the Two Passages Interlock

• 2 Samuel 23:33 supplies living examples of the proverb’s truth—men who proved friendship with action, not talk

• Shammah and Ahiam illustrate the proverb’s two halves:

– “Friend loves at all times” → they stayed beside David through decades of battle and exile (1 Samuel 22:1–2; 2 Samuel 5:6–10)

– “Brother … for adversity” → they stood when the Philistines pressed in, when Saul hunted David, and when civil war erupted under Absalom (2 Samuel 15–18)

• Their steadfast presence shows that biblical friendship functions like covenant family, not casual acquaintance

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Marks of Covenant Friendship Evident in David’s Men

• Sacrifice—risking life for another (cf. John 15:13)

• Constancy—showing up in both victory parades and lonely caves (1 Samuel 24:3–8)

• Shared mission—advancing God’s kingdom under David’s anointed leadership (2 Samuel 23:8–17)

• Mutual strengthening—encouraging the king when his own strength waned (2 Samuel 21:15–17)

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Practical Takeaways

• Names matter to God; He records those who practice loyal love

• True friends are battlefield companions, not fair-weather spectators

• Friendship that mirrors Proverbs 17:17 cannot be separated from shared devotion to the Lord and His purposes (Ecclesiastes 4:9–12)

• Christ calls believers to that same pattern, making them “friends” who lay down their lives for one another (John 15:12–15; 1 John 3:16)

In Shammah and Ahiam the historical record meets the wisdom proverb, proving that God’s Word is consistent, literal, and reliable in portraying what real friendship looks like.