The Powers That Be

[W Brewer]

DW: <<<Wycliffite Bible reads: <thingis that ben> rather than <powers>.>>>
WB: The Greek is unambiguous: <<the [sc. powers] THAT BE>>. Latin gave
cause for ambiguity, since QUAE SUNT should be interpreted as <<[sc.
powers] WHICH ARE/EXIST>>, parsing QUAE as feminine plural referring to the
preceding POTESTATIBUS. << thingis that ben>> has taken QUAE as a neuter
plural, <<WHICH-THINGS ARE/EXIST>>. Obviously, no Greek input for this
Wycliffite passage.

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