See God works in mysterious ways on Wiktionary
{
"etymology_text": "The phrase \"God works in mysterious ways\" often describes the idea that God's actions are not always clear or predictable. The Bible includes some passages that may relate to this idea, such as Ecclesiastes 11:5, Deuteronomy 29:29, and 1 Timothy 3:16.\nDespite common belief, not from dismissive folk illiteracy, but captures some essence of theology and Scripture.\nUsed in a poem by William Cowper (who lived 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.”",
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"text": "Person A: It seems that I'm about to be fired from my job."
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"text": "Person B: Well, God works in mysterious ways — maybe it'll be the kick you need to apply to university..."
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"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "every cloud has a silver lining"
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{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "blessing in disguise"
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"_dis1": "2 84 13",
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"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "لله في خلقه شؤون"
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"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "神用奧秘行動前來"
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"roman": "shényòng àomì xíngdòng qiánlái",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "神用奥秘行动前来"
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{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Herrens veje er uransagelige"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Gods wegen zijn ondoorgrondelijk"
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{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "tutkimattomat ovat Herran tiet"
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{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "les voies de Dieu sont impénétrables"
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{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "les voies du Seigneur sont impénétrables"
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{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "die Wege des Herrn sind unergründlich"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Gottes Wege sind unergründlich"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "ágnostoi ai voulaí tou Kyríou",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "άγνωστοι αι βουλαί του Κυρίου"
},
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"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "hi",
"lang": "Hindi",
"roman": "īśvar rahasyamyī tarīkõ se kām kartā hai",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "ईश्वर रहस्यमयी तरीकों से काम करता है"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Isten útjai kifürkészhetetlenek"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "is",
"lang": "Icelandic",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "vegir drottinns eru órannskakanlegir"
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{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "id",
"lang": "Indonesian",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Tuhan bekerja dengan cara misterius"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Le vie del Signore sono imperscrutabili"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "kami wa dokutoku de kimyō na yarikata o suru",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "神は独特で奇妙なやり方をする"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"alt": "塞翁之馬",
"code": "ko",
"lang": "Korean",
"roman": "sae'ongjima",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "새옹지마"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "nb",
"lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Herrens veier er uransakelige"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "niezbadane są wyroki Boskie"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "putí gospódni neispovedímy",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "пути́ госпо́дни неисповеди́мы"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "čudni su putevi Božji"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "los caminos del Señor son inescrutables"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Guds vägar äro outgrundliga"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "outgrundliga äro Herrens vägar"
},
{
"_dis1": "2 84 13",
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Mevla'nın işine akıl sır ermez"
}
]
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"word": "God works in mysterious ways"
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"etymology_text": "The phrase \"God works in mysterious ways\" often describes the idea that God's actions are not always clear or predictable. The Bible includes some passages that may relate to this idea, such as Ecclesiastes 11:5, Deuteronomy 29:29, and 1 Timothy 3:16.\nDespite common belief, not from dismissive folk illiteracy, but captures some essence of theology and Scripture.\nUsed in a poem by William Cowper (who lived 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.”",
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"Expressing confidence that a conundrum has a solution despite it not being apparent."
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},
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}
],
"glosses": [
"Commenting that a seemingly unfortunate or unfavourable situation or change may be beneficial later or in the long run."
],
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"unfortunate",
"unfortunate#English"
],
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"unfavourable",
"unfavourable#English"
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"beneficial",
"beneficial#English"
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"in the long run",
"in the long run#English"
]
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{
"glosses": [
"The way God guides us in and through our lives may seem illogical and beyond our understanding, but at the end it ultimately leads us to what our hearts truly desire."
]
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "every cloud has a silver lining"
},
{
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "blessing in disguise"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "ar",
"lang": "Arabic",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "لله في خلقه شؤون"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "神用奧秘行動前來"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "shényòng àomì xíngdòng qiánlái",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "神用奥秘行动前来"
},
{
"code": "da",
"lang": "Danish",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Herrens veje er uransagelige"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Gods wegen zijn ondoorgrondelijk"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "tutkimattomat ovat Herran tiet"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "les voies de Dieu sont impénétrables"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "les voies du Seigneur sont impénétrables"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "die Wege des Herrn sind unergründlich"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Gottes Wege sind unergründlich"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "ágnostoi ai voulaí tou Kyríou",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "άγνωστοι αι βουλαί του Κυρίου"
},
{
"code": "hi",
"lang": "Hindi",
"roman": "īśvar rahasyamyī tarīkõ se kām kartā hai",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "ईश्वर रहस्यमयी तरीकों से काम करता है"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Isten útjai kifürkészhetetlenek"
},
{
"code": "is",
"lang": "Icelandic",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "vegir drottinns eru órannskakanlegir"
},
{
"code": "id",
"lang": "Indonesian",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Tuhan bekerja dengan cara misterius"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Le vie del Signore sono imperscrutabili"
},
{
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "kami wa dokutoku de kimyō na yarikata o suru",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "神は独特で奇妙なやり方をする"
},
{
"alt": "塞翁之馬",
"code": "ko",
"lang": "Korean",
"roman": "sae'ongjima",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "새옹지마"
},
{
"code": "nb",
"lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Herrens veier er uransakelige"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "niezbadane są wyroki Boskie"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "putí gospódni neispovedímy",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "пути́ госпо́дни неисповеди́мы"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "čudni su putevi Božji"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "los caminos del Señor son inescrutables"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Guds vägar äro outgrundliga"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "outgrundliga äro Herrens vägar"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "a situation may be beneficial later",
"word": "Mevla'nın işine akıl sır ermez"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"William Cowper"
],
"word": "God works in mysterious ways"
}
Download raw JSONL data for God works in mysterious ways meaning in All languages combined (6.6kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
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