ISB ~ Matthew 16 v19

the keys:A symbol of teaching authority (Lk LIU 11:52). Jesus consecrates Peter as the Church’s chief teacher, whose office will continue on through successors. The plural use of keys may imply a connection with the “gates” in 16:18 and mean that Peter’s position includes, among other things, the authority to release the righteous souls who are detained in Hades but destined for heaven.

• In the OT Davidic empire, the king appointed a cabinet of ministers for specific tasks in the kingdom (1 Kings 4:1-6; 2 Kings 18:37). Of these, a prime minister was elevated to unique status of authority, ranking second only to the king. This government structure was common among kingdoms in the ancient Near East (cf. Gen 41:39-43; Esther 3:1-2). Jesus here evokes Is 22:15-25, where the prime minister’s office is handed on to a successor by the symbolic act of handing on the “key of the house [i.e., kingdom] of David” (Is 22:22). In Matthew, Jesus is the new Davidic king, who appoints Peter the prime minister over the kingdom of heaven in the Church. As in Is 22, Peter’s position is designed for him and his successors; the office is meant to endure as long as the kingdom itself. Entrusted with the keys, Peter wields Christ’s own royal authority (cf. Rev 1:18; 3:7). whatever you bind …

loose:Familiar language in early Jewish literature.

The metaphor carries several connotations:(1) It signifies teaching authority and the ability to render binding decisions. Rabbis were said to make “binding” interpretations of the Law. (2) It denotes authority to include or exclude members of a religious community. (3) It signals the forgiveness of sins (Tg Neof in Gen 4:7). The verb loose is used this way in Rev 1:5 (translated “freed”) and by the early Church Fathers (cf. Jn 20:23). Peter is thus invested with Christ’s authority as the kingdom’s chief teacher and administrator; through him heaven governs the Church on earth (cf. Jn 21:15-17; 1 Tim 3:15; CCC 553, 1445).