Key (מַפְתֵּחַ maftēaḥ)

The key (מַפְתֵּחַ maftēaḥ), in biblical Hebrew, comes from the root ftḥ whose verb form qal means “to open”, “to lay waste”, “to bring out”, and it is always about opening an object that was previously closed or about “opening” something abstract, such as “opening, i.e. solving a puzzle”. The primary, general meaning of the root ftḥ “to open” allows for various semantic uses.
In today’s first reading (Isa 22:19-23), the prophet Isaiah announces messianic times, and the “key” (מַפְתֵּחַ maftēaḥ) here has a symbolic theological meaning since it is the “key of the house of David” from which the coming of the Messiah was awaited. The prophet announces the transfer of the function of “manager of the royal palace”: in place of the unfaithful Shebna, God appoints Eliakim. The word “key” in this context is a symbol of the steward’s power over his master’s house and the highest authority in the entrusted function: “And when he opens, no one will close. And when he closes, no one will open” (v. 22). Eliakim will bring stability to the palace, which is also symbolized by the “peg”: “I will fasten him like a peg in a trustworthy place.” It is about a tent peg well driven into the ground. The promises are given to a “servant” who is “called” and specially chosen by God. It is worth noting that in the Apocalypse, the authority over the keys is entrusted to Christ (Rev 3:7).
Today’s Gospel (Mt 16:13-20), on the other hand, shows the Lord Jesus, the Master, who gives his disciple Peter, who confesses faith in His messianic mission, the name “Peter, that is Rock” and entrusts him “the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven”, i.e. total power in His Kingdom: “whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound, even in Heaven. And whatever you shall release on earth shall be released, even in Heaven.” The steward not only has authority over who can enter but is responsible for everything that happens in the master’s house. Our shared desire and ongoing human search is to find the key that will not only give us power but will allow us to enter the Kingdom of Jesus. Today’s readings give us a valuable clue. The key is not found by chance, but it is entrusted to specific people. Eliakim’s faithfulness and Peter’s faith lead us to think that these are the two “keys” to obtaining the right “key” (מַפְתֵּחַ maftēaḥ), the key to the Kingdom of Heaven.