1 Samuel 2:7-8

2:7 The Lord impoverishes and makes wealthy;

he humbles and he exalts.

2:8 He lifts the weak ¹  from the dust;

he raises ²  the poor from the ash heap

to seat them with princes

and to bestow on them an honored position. ³ 

The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord,

and he has placed the world on them.

Jeremiah 27:5-6

27:5 “I made the earth and the people and animals on it by my mighty power and great strength, ⁴  and I give it to whomever I see fit. ⁵  27:6 I have at this time placed all these nations of yours under the power ⁶  of my servant, ⁷  King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. I have even made all the wild animals subject to him. ⁸ 

Daniel 4:17

4:17 This announcement is by the decree of the sentinels;

this decision is by the pronouncement of the holy ones,

so that ⁹  those who are alive may understand

that the Most High has authority over human kingdoms, ¹⁰ 

and he bestows them on whomever he wishes.

He establishes over them even the lowliest of human beings.’

Daniel 4:32

4:32 You will be driven from human society, and you will live with the wild animals. You will be fed grass like oxen, and seven periods of time will pass by for you before ¹¹  you understand that the Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes.”

John 19:11

19:11 Jesus replied, “You would have no authority ¹²  over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you ¹³  is guilty of greater sin.” ¹⁴ 

Romans 13:1

Submission to Civil Government

13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, ¹⁵  and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God.

¹ tn Or “lowly”; Heb “insignificant.”

² tn The imperfect verbal form, which is parallel to the participle in the preceding line, is best understood here as indicating what typically happens.

³ tn Heb “a seat of honor.”

⁴ tn Heb “by my great power and my outstretched arm.” Again “arm” is symbolical for “strength.” Compare the similar expression in 21:5.

⁵ sn See Dan 4:17 for a similar statement.

⁶ tn Heb “have given…into the hand of.”

⁷ sn See the study note on 25:9 for the significance of the application of this term to Nebuchadnezzar.

⁸ tn Heb “I have given…to him to serve him.” The verb “give” in this syntactical situation is functioning like the Hiphil stem, i.e., as a causative. See Dan 1:9 for parallel usage. For the usage of “serve” meaning “be subject to” compare 2 Sam 22:44 and BDB 713 s.v. עָבַד 3.

⁹ tc The present translation follows an underlying reading of עַל־דִּבְרַת (’al-divrat, “so that”) rather than MT עַד־דִּבְרַת (’ad-divrat, “until”).

¹⁰ tn Aram “the kingdom of man”; NASB “the realm of mankind”; NCV “every kingdom on earth.”

¹¹ tn Aram “until.”

¹² tn Or “power.”

¹³ tn Or “who delivered me over to you.”

¹⁴ tn Grk “has the greater sin” (an idiom).

¹⁵ tn Grk “by God.”