Chapter
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Verse

John 20:17

ESV Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’"
NIV Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ "
NASB Jesus *said to her, 'Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’?'
CSB "Don’t cling to me," Jesus told her, "since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."
NLT Don’t cling to me,' Jesus said, 'for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’'
KJV Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
NKJV Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”

What does John 20:17 mean?

This response is to Mary Magdalene, who has just realized that the person speaking to her at Jesus' empty grave is Christ, Himself (John 20:11–16). The term Jesus uses here is haptou, which implies a close, clutching action. Later, Jesus will invite others to physically touch Him (John 20:27). So, His meaning here does not seem to be that Mary should not contact Him, at all. It more likely means that she is not to stay there, or keep clinging to Him, but that she needs to go and tell the disciples what she has seen.

That the first person given a message from the resurrected Christ is a woman would have gone against that era's prejudices about women. The message Jesus asks her to relate, in fact, will be waved off by the disciples as feminine hysteria (Luke 24:10–11, 22–24).

The details of Jesus' statement are somewhat vague. He refers to the disciples as "brothers," reinforcing the idea of salvation as a spiritual adoption by God (Hebrews 2:11–18). Referring to the Father as both "[His] God and [their] God" also echoes the same idea. Christ also refers to His ascension, which will come as He leaves the apostles to grow the infant church (Acts 1:6–11).
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