The King James Version of John 20:17 has “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father”
Modern versions have “hold on to me” or “cling to me”:
- Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me (NIV)
- Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me (ESV)
except that to lay hold on someone is normally κρατέω not touch.
The Greek is Μή μου ἅπτου – where the verb is Present Middle Imperative, the same as 2 Corinthians 6:17 μή ἅπτεσθε don’t touch the unclean thing – also Present Middle Imperative.
Note that this is slightly different from instructions such as Genesis 3:3 in the Greek Old Testament – μή ἅψησθε αὐτοῦ – do not you plural touch it (the fruit). Aorist Middle Subjunctive
Colossians 2:21 Μὴ ἅψῃ μηδὲ γεύσῃ μηδὲ θίγῃς Aorist Middle Subjunctive
For comparison in Luke 24:39 Jesus tells them ψηλαφήσατέ με handle me.
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