Meanings
alternative the Lord works in mysterious ways
- Expressing confidence that a conundrum has a solution despite it not being apparent.
Synonyms: everything happens for a reason
- Commenting on a situation that has led to some unexpected outcome in a surprising or convoluted way.
- Commenting that a seemingly unfortunate or unfavourable situation or change may be beneficial later or in the long run.
Person A: It seems that I'm about to be fired from my job. Person B: Well, God works in mysterious ways — maybe it'll be the kick you need to apply to university...
Synonyms: every cloud has a silver lining, everything happens for a reason
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbExpressing confidence that a conundrum has a solution despite it not being apparent.
proverbCommenting that a seemingly unfortunate or unfavourable situation or change may be beneficial later or in the long run.
Origin
Possibly originating from a poem by William Cowper (floruit 1731–1800), whose first stanza reads: God moves in a mysterious way / His wonders to perform; / He plants His footsteps in the sea / And rides upon the storm. Despite the late attestation, the general sentiment of the phrase does hold apparent wide-ranging and prehistoric theological currency.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic لِلّٰهِ فِي خَلْقِهِ شُؤُونٌ
- لِلّٰهِ فِي خَلْقِهِ شُؤُونٌ (lillāhi fī ḵalqihi šuʔūnun)an unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Chinese Mandarin 神用奧秘行動前來 /神用奥秘行动前来
- 神用奧秘行動前來 /神用奥秘行动前来 (shényòng àomì xíngdòng qiánlái)an unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Danish Herrens veje er uransagelige
- Herrens veje er uransageligean unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Dutch Gods wegen zijn ondoorgrondelijk
- Gods wegen zijn ondoorgrondelijkan unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Finnish tutkimattomat ovat Herran tiet
- tutkimattomat ovat Herran tietan unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
French les voies de Dieu sont impénétrables, les voies du Seigneur sont impénétrables
- les voies de Dieu sont impénétrablesan unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
- les voies du Seigneur sont impénétrablesan unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
German die Wege des Herrn sind unergründlich, Gottes Wege sind unergründlich
- die Wege des Herrn sind unergründlichan unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
- Gottes Wege sind unergründlichan unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Greek άγνωστοι αι βουλαί του Κυρίου
- άγνωστοι αι βουλαί του Κυρίου (ágnostoi ai voulaí tou Kyríou)an unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Hindi ईश्वर रहस्यमयी तरीकों से काम करता है, ईश्वर की माया कहीं धूप कहीं छाया
- ईश्वर रहस्यमयी तरीकों से काम करता है (īśvar rahasyamyī tarīkõ se kām kartā hai)an unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
- ईश्वर की माया कहीं धूप कहीं छाया (īśvar kī māyā kahī̃ dhūp kahī̃ chāyā)an unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Hungarian Isten útjai kifürkészhetetlenek
- Isten útjai kifürkészhetetlenekan unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Icelandic vegir drottinns eru órannskakanlegir
- vegir drottinns eru órannskakanlegiran unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Indonesian Tuhan bekerja dengan cara misterius
- Tuhan bekerja dengan cara misteriusan unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Italian le vie del Signore sono imperscrutabili
- le vie del Signore sono imperscrutabilian unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Japanese 神は独特で奇妙なやり方をする
- 神は独特で奇妙なやり方をする (kami wa dokutoku de kimyō na yarikata o suru)an unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Korean 새옹지마
- 새옹지마 (sae'ongjima)an unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Norwegian Bokmål Herrens veier er uransakelige
- Herrens veier er uransakeligean unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Polish niezbadane są wyroki Boskie
- niezbadane są wyroki Boskiean unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Portuguese Deus escreve certo por linhas tortas
- Deus escreve certo por linhas tortasan unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Russian пути́ госпо́дни неисповеди́мы
- пути́ госпо́дни неисповеди́мы (putí gospódni neispovedímy)an unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Spanish los caminos del Señor son inescrutables
- los caminos del Señor son inescrutablesan unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Swedish Guds vägar äro outgrundliga, outgrundliga äro Herrens vägar
- Guds vägar äro outgrundligaan unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
- outgrundliga äro Herrens vägaran unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Turkish Mevla'nın işine akıl sır ermez
- Mevla'nın işine akıl sır ermezan unfavorable situation may be beneficial later
Cite this entry
God works in mysterious ways. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/God%20works%20in%20mysterious%20ways
“God works in mysterious ways.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/God%20works%20in%20mysterious%20ways. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “God works in mysterious ways,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/God%20works%20in%20mysterious%20ways.
Source: God works in mysterious ways on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.