John 20:17 — 'Do not cling to me' means do not grasp or hold on, not 'do not touch'; the Greek haptomai connotes holding on, explaining why Jesus also allowed Thomas to touch him later

Winger looks up haptomai in Logos software using the exegetical guide. The lexical form is hapto, a present active imperative. Definitions include: to touch firmly or grasp with the hands, to grab ahold of and hold on to, to take hold of, to fasten to, to bind to. The sense is clinging or holding on, not merely making physical contact. Jesus is not forbidding all touch but telling Mary not to hold onto him because he has things to do (ascend to the Father). The Thomas incident was after the ascension, a different situation. The joy of seeing the risen Jesus would naturally produce a desire to embrace and not let go.