<p><strong>Yes, this is a Japanese pun</strong>. Unfortunately, this pun doesn't translate well to other languages.</p>

<p>The original phrases in Japanese are:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/zDmqJ.png" alt="kaminomi s/zo shiru"></p>

<p><sup>Image from <a href="http://buzz-manga.blog.jp/Saint-Oniisan.html" rel="noreferrer">buzz-manga.blog.jp</a></sup></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>神【かみ】のみぞ知る【しる】 (<em>kami nomi zo shiru</em>, only God knows)<br>
  神【かみ】のみそ汁【しる】 (<em>kami no miso shiru</em>, God's miso soup)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Yes, both have the same reading: <em>kaminomi[s/zo]shiru</em> (except <em>so</em> and <em>zo</em>, which only differs by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakuten_and_handakuten" rel="noreferrer">a voicing mark</a>).</p>

<p>Also, the one that Jesus does in that scene is called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dajare" rel="noreferrer"><em>dajare/oyaji gag</em></a>, which usually employs the same reading for different meaning.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-08T14:31:11.190Z
2017-11-08T14:44:47.967Z
2017-11-08T14:44:47.967Z
Aki Tanaka
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Cmwbu.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Cmwbu.jpg" alt="saint oniisan chapter 11"></a></p>

<p>In this chapter Buddha got cold, so Jesus tried to cook something for him. So he came up with a miso soup, and a joke. Or so it seems. But I don't understand this joke. "Only God knows God's miso soup". Is this a pun?</p>

<japanese-language><saint-oniisan>
"Only God knows God's miso soup". Is this a pun?
# "Only God knows God's miso soup". Is this a pun?
Posted by: username_0 on 2017-11-08
[![saint oniisan chapter 11](https://i.sstatic.net/Cmwbu.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Cmwbu.jpg)

In this chapter Buddha got cold, so Jesus tried to cook something for him. So he came up with a miso soup, and a joke. Or so it seems. But I don't understand this joke. "Only God knows God's miso soup". Is this a pun?
**Tags:** japanese-language saint-oniisan
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## 1 answers
### Answer by username_1 on 2017-11-08. Score: 6 | Accepted answer
**Yes, this is a Japanese pun**. Unfortunately, this pun doesn't translate well to other languages.

The original phrases in Japanese are:

![kaminomi s/zo shiru](https://i.sstatic.net/zDmqJ.png)

Image from [buzz-manga.blog.jp](http://buzz-manga.blog.jp/Saint-Oniisan.html)

> 神【かみ】のみぞ知る【しる】 (*kami nomi zo shiru*, only God knows)  
> 神【かみ】のみそ汁【しる】 (*kami no miso shiru*, God's miso soup)

Yes, both have the same reading: *kaminomi[s/zo]shiru* (except *so* and *zo*, which only differs by [a voicing mark](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dakuten_and_handakuten)).

Also, the one that Jesus does in that scene is called [*dajare/oyaji gag*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dajare), which usually employs the same reading for different meaning.
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