The keys of the kingdom of heaven: there is general agreement that keys symbolize authority, but there is wide disagreement among scholars regarding the nature and extent of this authority given to Peter. Some scholars see here the picture of the kingdom of heaven as a large palace with doors to which Peter has been given the keys. Peter would then be the “gatekeeper of heaven,” having the authority to decide who could or could not enter its gates. In support of this exegesis is the analogy between “gates” (verse 18) and “keys” (verse 19) on the one hand, and “the world of the dead” (verse 18) and “the kingdom of heaven” (verse 19) on the other hand.

There is, however, an alternative interpretation according to which Peter is not the gatekeeper of heaven, but the steward of the Kingdom of heaven upon earth. In this regard his primary function is that of “binding and loosing,” which would mean the authority to render the correct interpretation to the Law of Christ. Peter would then stand in contrast to the teachers of the Law of 23.13, who are the self-appointed interpreters of God’s Law.

Fortunately, satisfactory translations of this verse may be made without giving explicit support to these or any other doctrinal positions, and it is important that this procedure be followed. For many Christians this is an extremely sensitive passage, and translations should allow for openness of interpretation. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch produces a text that is both dynamic and nonsectarian: “I will give you the keys to God’s new world.” In some languages keys will have to occur with “doors,” as in “keys of the doors to God’s new world.”

Keys are not always well known, so translators have to use a descriptive phrase such as “an object that controls whether a door or container can be opened.” Since this can possibly lead to a rather cumbersome translation (“I will give you the things that control whether God’s rule can be opened or closed”), some translators have used a phrase such as “I will have you control whether God’s rule is open or closed” or “I will give you control concerning the people that are ruled over by God.” Note that this last example does not say “control over.” In any case the term used for keys should relate to the terms used for binding and loosing in the following clauses.

For more comments on kingdom of heaven, see the discussions at 3.2 and 5.3.

Bound in heaven … loosed in heaven: “to bind” and “to loose” translate technical terms used by Jewish teachers in the sense of “to forbid” and “to permit.” Heaven here represents a typical Jewish way of referring to God without mentioning his sacred name. Therefore one scholar states: “Everything decided by the ‘lower court’ is confirmed by the ‘superior court,’ i.e., God himself.” One may then translate “What you forbid (here on earth), God (in heaven) will also forbid….”

Some translators have rendered this in a way that makes it seem that whatever Peter prohibits or permits on earth will apply to those beings that are in heaven too. Rather, “God in heaven will give his approval to the things you prohibit or permit on earth” will be better.

In many languages translators will have to indicate what Peter prohibits or permits. “What you prohibit (or, permit) people to do on earth, God in heaven will give his approval to” is possible.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .