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Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.
– Proverbs 27:10

[F]amily connections are presented as the strongest bonds and form a standard for comparisons of the friendship of neighbors and friends (Proverbs 17:17; 18:24). Overall, this saying is about cultivating relationships. The image of a near neighbor suggests relationships with those who are close at hand spatially. Even if they are not blood relation, they are near and better than blood relation far away in times of calamity. Wisdom cultivates community.

 

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