proverb · Words worth keeping
It is better to have to do with God than with his saints.
It is better to have to do with God than with his saints.
In print by 1857 AD · industrial
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
When an intermediary cannot resolve a matter, approaching the person with actual authority may be more effective. First understand the roles and the available route for doing so.
What the words are saying
The contrast between God and the saints is used to picture a principal and those approached on the principal’s behalf. In an ordinary organisational reading, it suggests that direct contact with a decision-maker may avoid delay or conflicting messages. The useful question is who can actually answer the request or authorise a change. It does not establish a theological position or prove that intermediaries are useless. People handling a request may have necessary knowledge and a legitimate role. A direct approach is most helpful when it clarifies responsibility rather than merely bypassing everyone else.
Everyday example
After receiving incompatible answers about a booking, a customer asks the person responsible for confirming reservations to resolve the specific discrepancy.
When to use it
Use it to locate the appropriate authority for an unresolved request.
What it does not mean
Respect legitimate procedures and the expertise of intermediaries. Direct access may be unavailable or inappropriate, and seniority alone does not guarantee a better answer.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional (French-language collection)
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1857 AD · industrial
In print by 1857: recorded in A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857) (1857 AD)
Printed page 26; French section, paragraph 526; source wording: Il vaut mieux avoir affaire à Dieu qu’à ses saints.
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.