The powers that be
In idiomatic English, "the powers that be" is a phrase used to refer to those individuals or groups who collectively hold authority over a particular domain.[1] Within this phrase, the word be is an archaic variant of are rather than a subjunctive be.
Origin
[edit]The phrase first appeared in the Tyndale Bible, William Tyndale's 1526 translation of Romans Chapter 13 verse 1 in the New Testament, as: "Let every soul submit himself unto the authority of the higher powers. There is no power but of God. The powers that be, are ordained of God".[2] In the 1611 King James Version it became, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: The powers that be are ordained of God." (Rom 13:1),[3] whence it eventually passed into popular language.[4][5]
The phrase comes from a translation of the Greek: αἱ ... οὖσαι [ἐξουσίαι], romanized: hai ... oûsai [exousíai], lit. 'the ... existing [powers]'; ἐξουσίαι is also translated as "authorities" in some other translations.[6]
Examples
[edit]"The powers that be" can refer to a variety of entities that depend on the domain, including
- Governments, both central and local, and the accompanying civil service
- The upper management of a business
- Those who control the dissemination of information
- Controlling bodies in any organization i.e corporation or activity
- Secret societies and cabals
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "powers that be". The Free Dictionary. Farlex. 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
- ^ Tyndale, William (1526). Tyndale Bible. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013.
- ^ [1] Archived December 18, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The powers that be - meaning and origin". Phrases.org.uk. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ "powers that be - definition of powers that be by The Free Dictionary". Thefreedictionary.com. March 1, 1987. Retrieved June 2, 2015.
- ^ Biblos.com. Chain Link Bible. Romans 13:1.
External links
[edit]
The dictionary definition of powers that be at Wiktionary
