מֵרֵעַ (mērēaʿ) is
a Hebrew noun
meaning friend. It appears
7 times
in 4 books of the Hebrew Bible
(Strong's H4828).
Also rendered
companion
Same Hebrew root (TWOT 2186f)
Range of meaning (TWOT 2186f)friend, companion
Full entry: Brown-Driver-Briggs and Strong's
מֵרֵעַnoun, masculine: friend, companion
Strong's H4828מֵרֵעַ: a friend KJV:companion, friend.
Meanings: Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Hebrew Dictionary (1890), public domain, via the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project (CC BY 4.0). TWOT numbers for reference only.
Root family 2186: רָעָהrāʿâ — be a special friend; associate with; cherish faithfulness; do not make companionship with a bad-tempered man; tend, pasture, graze, rule, associate; companion, keep company with, devour, eat up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend…