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.

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.

[2] In the 1611 King James Version it became, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.

[4][5] The phrase comes from a translation of the Greek: αἱ ... οὖσαι [ἐξουσίαι], romanized: hai ... oûsai [exousíai], lit.

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