Anakalypsis / Unveiling the Word

Matthew 16:19

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

KJV

δώσω σοι τὰς κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ ὃ ἐὰν δήσῃς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται δεδεμένον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, καὶ ὃ ἐὰν λύσῃς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἔσται λελυμένον ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.

Greek NT

Et tibi dabo claves regni cælorum. Et quodcumque ligaveris super terram, erit ligatum et in cælis : et quodcumque solveris super terram, erit solutum et in cælis.

Vulgate

I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

ASV

And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven.

Douay-Rheims

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In this verse

Symbols Key

In the original Greek

15 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

βασιλεία
basileia
noun · 162×
γῆ
ge
noun · 251×
δέω
deo
verb · 43×
δίδωμι
didomi
verb · 414×
εἰμί
eimi
verb · 2461×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
κλείς
kleis
noun · 6×
λύω
luo
verb · 42×
οὐρανός
ouranos
noun · 274×
σύ
su
pronoun · 1071×
ἐάν
ean
conditional · 333×
ἐν
en
preposition · 2743×
ἐπί
epi
preposition · 888×
ὁ
o
article · 19778×
ὅς
os
relative_pronoun · 1404×

Textual variants

4 variant units attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

minor
SBLGNT: δώσω | WH/NIV: δώσω | Treg/RP: καὶ δώσω
  • δώσω — SBLGNT
  • δώσω — Westcott-Hort, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • καὶ δώσω — Tregelles, Robinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus
minor
SBLGNT: κλεῖδας | WH/Treg/NIV: κλεῖδας | RP: κλεῖς
  • κλεῖδας — SBLGNT
  • κλεῖδας — Westcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • κλεῖς — Robinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus
minor
SBLGNT: ἐὰν | WH/NIV/RP: ἐὰν | Treg: ἂν
  • ἐὰν — SBLGNT
  • ἐὰν — Westcott-Hort, Reader's GNT (NA27), Robinson-Pierpont
  • ἂν — Tregelles
source: sblgnt-apparatus
minor
SBLGNT: ἐὰν | WH/NIV/RP: ἐὰν | Treg: ἂν
  • ἐὰν — SBLGNT
  • ἐὰν — Westcott-Hort, Reader's GNT (NA27), Robinson-Pierpont
  • ἂν — Tregelles
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Themes

Historic Christian voices

14 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§440Jesus accepted Peter's profession of faith, which acknowledged him to be the Messiah, by announcing the imminent Passion of the Son of Man.40 He unveiled the authentic content of his messianic kingship both in the transcendent identity of the Son of Man "who came down from heaven", and in his redemptive mission as the suffering Servant: "The Son of Man came not to be served but…
§553Jesus entrusted a specific authority to Peter: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."287 The "power of the keys" designates authority to govern the house of God, which is the Church. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, confirmed this mandate after his Resurrec…
§881The Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock.400 "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of apostles united to its head."401 This pastoral office of Peter and the other apostles belongs to the Church's very foundatio…
…and 1 more from this source.
2. What then says Peter? "He says, Yea:" and to these indeed he said, that He pays, but to Him he said it not, blushing perhaps to speak to Him of these things. Wherefore that gentle one, well knowing as He did all things, prevented him,"saying, What do you think, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? Of their own sons, or of strangers;" and when he s…
§27For while fulfilling His office as preacher He chose Apostles, sending them as He had been sent by the Father [24] - namely, as teachers, rulers, instruments of holiness in the assembly of the believers; He appointed their Chief and His Vicar on earth;[25] He made known to them all things and whatsoever He had heard from His Father; [26] He also determined that through Baptism …
1. Concerning Those Who Asked Him to Show Them a Sign from Heaven. And the Sadducees and Pharisees came, and tempting Him kept asking Him to show them a sign from heaven. Matthew 16:1 The Sadducees and Pharisees who disagreed with each other in regard to the most essential truths, — for the Pharisees champion the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, hoping that there will …
1. Relation of the Baptist to Elijah. The Theory of Transmigration Considered. The disciples asked Him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come? Matthew 17:10 The disciples indeed who went up with Jesus remembered the traditions of the scribes concerning Elijah, that before the advent of Christ, Elijah would come and prepare for Him the souls of those who w…
We teach and declare that, according to the gospel evidence, a primacy of jurisdiction over the whole Church of God was immediately and directly promised to the blessed apostle Peter and conferred on him by Christ the Lord. For it was to Simon alone, to whom he had already said "You shall be called Cephas," that the Lord, after his confession, "You are the Christ, the Son of th…
Heidelberg Catechism · 2 passages
Q. What are the keys of the kingdom? A. The preaching of the holy gospel and Christian discipline toward repentance. Both preaching and discipline open the kingdom of heaven to believers and close it to unbelievers.
Q. How does preaching the gospel open and close the kingdom of heaven? A. According to the command of Christ: The kingdom of heaven is opened by proclaiming and publicly declaring to all and every believer, each time they accept the promise of the gospel in true faith, that, as often as they do this, truly all their sins are forgiven them of God, for the sake of Christ's merits…
Cyprian argues that Christ built His church upon Peter as the starting point of unity. "Upon this rock I will build My church" — the Lord gave to Peter the keys, establishing one chair as the visible source of episcopal unity. Though all the apostles received equal authority, the Lord began with one to make the principle of unity manifest.

Cross-references

  • 1Cor 5:4 — In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
  • 1Cor 5:4 — In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
  • 1Thess 4:8 — He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
  • 2Cor 2:10 — To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
  • Acts 2:14 — But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
  • Acts 10:34 — Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
  • Isa 22:22 — And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.
  • John 20:23 — Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
  • John 20:23 — Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.
  • Luke 9:1 — Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
  • Matt 18:18 — Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
  • Matt 18:18 — Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
  • Rev 1:18 — I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
  • Rev 1:18 — I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
  • Rev 3:7 — And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man
  • Rev 3:7 — And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man
  • Rev 9:1 — And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
  • Rev 11:6 — These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
  • Rev 20:1 — And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.