The powers that be
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"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, 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 (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