In idiomatic English, "the powers that be" (sometimes initialized as TPTB) is a phrase used to refer to those individuals or groups who collectively hold authority over a particular domain. Within this phrase, the word ''be'' is an archaic variant of ''are'' rather than a subjunctive ''be''. The use of ''are'' in this phrase ("the powers that are") is less common. "The powers that were" (TPTW) can also be found.

Origin

The phrase first appeared in the

Tyndale Bible The Tyndale Bible generally refers to the body of biblical translations by William Tyndale into Early Modern English, made . Tyndale's Bible is credited with being the first Bible translation in the English language to work directly from Hebre ...

William Tyndale William Tyndale (; sometimes spelled ''Tynsdale'', ''Tindall'', ''Tindill'', ''Tyndall''; – ) was an English biblical scholar and linguist who became a leading figure in the Protestant Reformation in the years leading up to his executi ...

's 1526 translation of the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christi ...

, as: "Let every soul submit himself unto the authority of the

higher power Higher Power is a term used in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other twelve-step programs. The same groups use the phrase "a power greater than ourselves" synonymously. The term sometimes refers to a supreme being or deity, or other conceptions of ...

s. There is no power but of God. The powers that be, are ordained of God". In the 1611

King James Version The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by sponsorship of ...

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." (), whence it eventually passed into popular language. The phrase comes from a translation of the el, αἱ ... οὖσαι ��ξουσίαιhai ... oûsai xousíailit=the ... existing

owers Owers is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Adrian Owers (born 1965), English footballer *Anne Owers (born 1947), British prison inspector *Gary Owers Gary Owers (born 3 October 1968) is an English former professional footbal ...

}; is also translated as "authorities" in some other translations.Biblos.com. Chain Link Bible
Romans 13:1

Examples

"The powers that be" can refer to a variety of entities that depend on the domain, including *

Government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

s, both central and

local Local may refer to: Geography and transportation * Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand * Local, Missouri, a community in the United States * Local government, a form of public administration, usually the lowest tier of administra ...

, and the accompanying

civil service The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

* The upper management of a

business Business is the practice of making one's living or making money by producing or buying and selling products (such as goods and services). It is also "any activity or enterprise entered into for profit." Having a business name does not separa ...

* Those who control the dissemination of information * Controlling bodies in any

organization An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose. The word is derived from ...

i.e corporation or activity *

Secret societies A secret society is a club or an organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence a ...

and

cabal A cabal is a group of people who are united in some close design, usually to promote their private views or interests in an ideology, a state, or another community, often by intrigue and usually unbeknownst to those who are outside their group. T ...

In popular culture

* The

Public Enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...

song "Fight the Power" features a call to "fight the powers that be." *

Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. In 1965, he co-founded the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. Waters initially served as the bassist, but following the departure of singer-so ...

has a song called "The Powers That Be" on his 1987 album Radio Kaos. *

Death Grips Death Grips is an American experimental hip hop group formed in 2010 in Sacramento, California. The group consists of Stefan Burnett, also known as MC Ride (vocals, lyrics), Zach Hill (drums, production, lyrics), and Andy Morin (keyboards, produ ...

's fourth studio album is called

The Powers That B ''The Powers That B'' is the fourth studio album, and first double album, by experimental hip hop group Death Grips. The album's first disc, ''Niggas on the Moon'', was released as a free digital download on June 8, 2014. The first disc's instrum ...

, which is also a reference to this phrase. *

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generat ...

's third studio album

To Pimp a Butterfly ''To Pimp a Butterfly'' is the third studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 15, 2015, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album was recorded in studios throughout the Uni ...

has the song "King Kunta" which references this phrase.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Powers That Be English-language idioms New Testament words and phrases 16th-century neologisms English phrases

Origin

Examples

In popular culture

See also

References

External links