Meanings
alternative God helps those who help themselves · alternative heaven helps those that help themselves
- A maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems.
Origin
Phrase originates from Aesop, an Ancient Greek author. It was first translated into Latin, then into French by Pierre Millot in 1646. The phrase originates as the opening sentence of Samuel Smiles' book Self-Help from 1859. It is a variation of the pre-existing maxim God helps them that help themselves which also appeared in Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack which was published in the first half of the 18th century.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic اسعى يا عبدي وأنا أسعى معاك
- اسعى يا عبدي وأنا أسعى معاكa maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
Chinese Mandarin 自助者天助, 皇天不負苦心人 /皇天不负苦心人
- 自助者天助 (zìzhùzhě tiānzhù)a maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
- 皇天不負苦心人 /皇天不负苦心人 (Huángtiān bùfù kǔxīnrén)a maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
Dutch help uzelf zo helpt u God
- help uzelf zo helpt u Goda maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
Finnish Jumala auttaa niitä, jotka auttavat itseään
- Jumala auttaa niitä, jotka auttavat itseääna maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
French aide-toi, le ciel t'aidera
- aide-toi, le ciel t'aideraa maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
German hilf dir selbst, dann hilft dir Gott
- hilf dir selbst, dann hilft dir Gotta maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
Hungarian segíts magadon, s az Isten is megsegít
- segíts magadon, s az Isten is megsegíta maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
Italian aiutati che Dio t'aiuta
- aiutati che Dio t'aiutaa maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
Japanese 天は自ら助くる者を助く
- 天は自ら助くる者を助く (ten wa mizukara tasu kuru mono o tasuku)a maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
Korean 자구다복, 하늘은 스스로 돕는 자를 돕는다
- 자구다복 (jagudabok)a maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
- 하늘은 스스로 돕는 자를 돕는다 (haneur-eun seuseuro domneun ja-reul domneunda)a maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
Polish Bóg pomaga tym, co sami sobie pomagają
- Bóg pomaga tym, co sami sobie pomagająa maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
Portuguese Deus ajuda quem se ajuda
- Deus ajuda quem se ajudaa maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
Russian на бо́га наде́йся, а сам не плоша́й, Бог-то Бог, да и са́м не будь плох
- на бо́га наде́йся, а сам не плоша́й (na bóga nadéjsja, a sam ne plošáj)a maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
- Бог-то Бог, да и са́м не будь плох (Bog-to Bog, da i sám ne budʹ plox)a maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
Spanish la caridad bien entendida empieza por uno mismo
- la caridad bien entendida empieza por uno mismoa maxim encouraging people to attempt to solve their own problems
Cite this entry
heaven helps those who help themselves. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heaven%20helps%20those%20who%20help%20themselves
“heaven helps those who help themselves.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heaven%20helps%20those%20who%20help%20themselves. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “heaven helps those who help themselves,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/heaven%20helps%20those%20who%20help%20themselves.
Source: heaven helps those who help themselves on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.