Truly, I say to you is the same emphatic formula used in verses 3 and 13. You is plural in each passage, and Good News Translation translates “all of you” to indicate the plural form here, though not in verse 3 or 13.

Except for minor variations, the remainder of this verse is essentially the same as 16.19 (see discussion there). The differences are as follows: (1) you is plural here, though singular in the earlier passage; (2) the phrase translated in heaven is literally “in the heavens” in 16.19; (3) whatever is a slightly different form of the pronoun than that used in the 16.19 parallel; and (4) the pronoun whatever is plural here, as compared with the singular form used earlier.

But the real distinction between the two passages is not revealed in their minor variations, but rather in their applications: what was earlier promised to Peter (16.19) is now promised to the entire Christian community, thus making the present passage parallel to John 20.23.

The use of the plural you in this verse instead of the singular in 16.19 must be reflected in the translation, and possibly it will also be good to use some plural form for whatever; for example, “whatever things.” But the use of in heaven instead of a plural form is not significant. In other respects translators should render this verse as they did 16.19.

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 .