Where did "God helps those who help themselves" originate?

Question

I've always heard it said that "God helps those who help themselves."

From a Biblical perspective this doesn't make much sense to me (since I've also heard that we should rely on God for everything). However, it's a pretty popular phrase.

Where did the phrase originate? Is it a Biblical reference or is there no relation to Christianity?

hammar · Accepted Answer

The phrase originated in ancient Greece, as the moral of Hercules and the Waggoner, one of Aesop's fables.

A Waggoner was once driving a heavy load along a very muddy way. At last he came to a part of the road where the wheels sank half-way into the mire, and the more the horses pulled, the deeper sank the wheels. So the Waggoner threw down his whip, and knelt down and prayed to Hercules the Strong.
"O Hercules, help me in this my hour of distress," quoth he.
But Hercules appeared to him, and said:
"Tut, man, don't sprawl there. Get up and put your shoulder to the wheel."
Moral of Aesops Fable: The gods help them that help themselves

However, it is often mistakenly attributed to Benjamin Franklin or believed to have biblical origin.

jchaffee · Answer

It's actually a phrase passed down by Benjamin Franklin, it has no biblical precedent as a concept nor it the phrase in the bible.

Where did "God helps those who help themselves" originate?

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