The powers that be

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"The powers that be" (TPTB) is a phrase used to refer to any group that holds power over a certain entity: politicians, television and film writers, CEOs, etc. The phrase derives from the King James Version of the Bible, although it first appeared in Tyndale's translation of 1526, with the meaning "the established political powers": "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" (Romans 13:1).

Specific meanings include:

• The Powers That Be is a song on ex-Pink Floyd member Roger Waters' 1987 album Radio K.A.O.S., which refers to the said phrase above.
• The Powers That Be (book), a 1979 book by David Halberstam chronicling the rise of media to a political power
• The Powers That Be (TV series), a short-lived 1990s situation comedy
• The Powers That Be (Buffyverse), a group of awesomely powerful supernatural entities in the television series Angel
• The Powers That Be (Stargate SG-1), an episode of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1
• The Powers That Be, or the Elders, the leaders of Good in the television series Charmed
• Powers That Be (The Pretender), or PTB, an episode of the television series The Pretender
• The Powers that Be are overruling entities, or "gods", in Diane Duane's Young Wizard Series.
• The Powers That Be are a hip hop crew, based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Lars Mars (Jeffery Linderg) and Ceder Tree (Mathew Ceder) comprise the group. They are part of the Northern Associates Entertainment Umbrella.