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.
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." (13:1 kjv),[3] whence it eventually passed into popular language.[4] [5]
The phrase comes from a translation of the Greek, Modern (1453-);: αἱ ... οὖσαι [ἐξουσίαι]|hai ... oûsai [exousíai]|lit=the ... existing [powers]; Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ἐξουσίαι is also translated as "authorities" in some other translations.[6]
"The powers that be" can refer to a variety of entities that depend on the domain, including