1 Kings 3:26
Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.
Cross-reference
In Genesis 43:30, Joseph's heart yearns for his brother, using the same Hebrew root - a parallel of deep familial compassion.
Isaiah 49:15 uses the poignant image of a mother's compassion for her child - exactly the love driving the real mother's plea in verse 26.
In Jeremiah 31:20, God's heart yearns for Ephraim, using the same Hebrew verb as the mother's yearning in verse 26 - a parallel of divine and human compassion.
In Hosea 11:8, God's compassion for Israel is stirred, mirroring the mother's deep feeling in verse 26 - a parallel of tender love.
Romans 1:31 lists 'heartless' as a vice — the mother's tender heart is the direct opposite of this condemnation.
2 Timothy 3:3 also lists 'heartless' among end-times sins — the mother's compassion stands in stark contrast.
Genesis 21:16 shows Hagar weeping at her son's impending death — both mothers face the agony of losing a child.
Job 39:16 describes an ostrich that is harsh to her young, lacking natural affection — the opposite of the mother's devoted love.
In 2 Corinthians 7:15, Paul uses the same 'bowels' metaphor for deep affection — Titus's yearning mirrors the mother's yearning for her son.
1 John 3:17 warns against closing one's heart to a brother in need — the mother's open heart exemplifies the opposite.
2 Kings 6:29 describes a mother hiding her son from being eaten — both women act out of maternal desperation, though circumstances differ.
In Philippians 1:8, Paul uses the same 'yearning' language to express his deep affection for the church, mirroring the mother's heart.