--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Gold thou mayst safely touch; but if it…" description: "\"Gold thou mayst safely touch; but if it stick Unto thy hands, it woundeth to the quick.\" — George Herbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/george-herbert-107_gold_gold-thou-mayst-safely-touch-but-if-it-s_2494379.jpg" --- # Gold thou mayst safely touch; but if it stick Unto thy… ![“Gold thou mayst safely touch; but if it stick Unto thy hands, it woundeth to the quick.” quote by George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/george-herbert-107_gold_gold-thou-mayst-safely-touch-but-if-it-s_2494379.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/george-herbert-107_gold_gold-thou-mayst-safely-touch-but-if-it-s_2494379.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/george-herbert-107_gold_gold-thou-mayst-safely-touch-but-if-it-s_2494379.jpg) > “Gold thou mayst safely touch; but if it stick Unto thy hands, it woundeth to the quick.” [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Warns that wealth can cling to a person and cause deep harm. **In simple terms:** Money can bind and hurt. Key Takeaway Guard against material attachment. Themes wealth spiritual danger attachment Mood somber cautionary Type moral poetic When to use this quote - financial planning - charitable giving - personal budgeting Key Concepts materialism moral lesson Questions to Reflect On - How does attachment to wealth affect the soul? - What practices free you from material grip? A Different Perspective Wealth can also enable good. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) [Gold Thou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold-thou-996908/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Safely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safely/) [Safely Touch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/safely-touch-996909/) [Sticks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticks/) [Thy Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thy-hands-639984/) [Woundeth Quick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woundeth-quick-996910/) ## Related quotes > [At the immortal touch of thy hands my little heart loses its limits in joy and gives birth to utterance ineffable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/at-the-immortal-touch-of-thy-hands-my-little-heart-loses-its-limits/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [Oh Lord, my God, when I see your awesome wonder and I Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made I see the stars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/oh-lord-my-god-when-i-see-your-awesome-wonder-and-i-consider-all-the/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [Whether I flie with angels, fallwith dust, Thy hands made both, and I am there: Thy power and love, my love and trust Make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whether-i-flie-with-angels-fallwith-dust-thy-hands-made-both-and-i-am/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Into thy hands, O Lord. Into thy hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-irving/into-thy-hands-o-lord-into-thy-hands/) [Henry Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-irving/) > [Son, if a maiden love thee, thou shalt appear handsome in her sight; she shall praise thine eyes, and the corners of thy mouth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gelett-burgess/son-if-a-maiden-love-thee-thou-shalt-appear-handsome-in-her-sight-she/) [Gelett Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gelett-burgess/) > [“O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made; I see the stars, I hear the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-morgan/o-lord-my-god-when-i-in-awesome-wonder-consider-all-the-worlds-thy/) [Robert J. Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-morgan/) > [“Thou hast spread Thy arms to embrace far too many, Flinging Thy hands out till they reach the ends of the crossbeam.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-pasternak/thou-hast-spread-thy-arms-to-embrace-far-too-many-flinging-thy-hands/) [Boris Pasternak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-pasternak/) > [Love not too well the work of thy hands and the devices of thy heart; and remember that the true hope of the Noldor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-not-too-well-the-work-of-thy-hands-and-the-devices-of-thy-heart/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-jane-grey/lord-into-thy-hands-i-commend-my-spirit/) [Lady Jane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-jane-grey/) > [Ill natures, the more you aske them, the more they stick.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/ill-natures-the-more-you-aske-them-the-more-they-stick/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [You will go most safely in the middle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/you-will-go-most-safely-in-the-middle/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [I feel really passionately about safe, comfortable roads, crosswalks, and sidewalks. Everyone of all economic backgrounds should be able to get to school or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-sollee/i-feel-really-passionately-about-safe-comfortable-roads-crosswalks/) [Ben Sollee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-sollee/) > [“I do not intend to tip-toe through life, but to arrive safely at death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-aguilera/i-do-not-intend-to-tip-toe-through-life-but-to-arrive-safely-at-death/) [Christina Aguilera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-aguilera/) > [“Secret thoughts and an open countenance will take you safely the world over”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/secret-thoughts-and-an-open-countenance-will-take-you-safely-the/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [Life is way too short to safely remove a USB.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-way-too-short-to-safely-remove-a-usb/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by George Herbert > [Sum up at night what thou hast done by day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/sum-up-at-night-what-thou-hast-done-by-day/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Beare with evill, and expect good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/beare-with-evill-and-expect-good/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [ In the house of a Fidler, all fiddle. \[In the house of the fiddler all fiddle.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/in-the-house-of-a-fidler-all-fiddle-in-the-house-of-the-fiddler-all/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [By all means use some time to be alone, salute thyself, see what thy soul doth wear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/by-all-means-use-some-time-to-be-alone-salute-thyself-see-what-thy/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Every one is weary, the poore in seeking, the rich in keeping, the good in learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/every-one-is-weary-the-poore-in-seeking-the-rich-in-keeping-the-good/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [He is a great Necromancer, for he asks counsel counsell of the Dead (i.e. books).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/he-is-a-great-necromancer-for-he-asks-counsel-counsell-of-the-dead-i/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [If all fooles had babies, wee should want fuell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/if-all-fooles-had-babies-wee-should-want-fuell/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Weight justly and sell dearely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/weight-justly-and-sell-dearely/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Could have recovered greenness?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/could-have-recovered-greenness/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [In every country dogges bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/in-every-country-dogges-bite/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [The back-doore robs the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-back-doore-robs-the-house/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [In cloths cheap handsomeness, doth bear the bell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/in-cloths-cheap-handsomeness-doth-bear-the-bell/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [Foolish tongues talke by the dozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/foolish-tongues-talke-by-the-dozen/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [ Spectacles are deaths Harquebuze. \[Spectacles are death's arquebuse.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/spectacles-are-deaths-harquebuze-spectacles-are-death-s-arquebuse/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [None saies his Garner is full.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/none-saies-his-garner-is-full/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) [Explore all 1,285 George Herbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) ## More Gold quotes > [These joys were so trifling as to be as imperceptible as grains of gold among the sand, and in moments of depression she saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/these-joys-were-so-trifling-as-to-be-as-imperceptible-as-grains-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [With every product, the delta between the brand and the reality determines its power over the minds of consumers, and with Trump, that delta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/with-every-product-the-delta-between-the-brand-and-the-reality/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) > [Set the bird's wings with gold and it will never again soar in thesky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/set-the-bird-s-wings-with-gold-and-it-will-never-again-soar-in-thesky/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [A great smile is a wonderful asset, but a good heart is pure gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/a-great-smile-is-a-wonderful-asset-but-a-good-heart-is-pure-gold/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I with borrow'd silver shine, What you see is none of mine. First I show you but a quarter, Like the bow that guards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/i-with-borrow-d-silver-shine-what-you-see-is-none-of-mine-first-i/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [Surely, God could have caused birds to fly with their bones made of solid gold, with their veins full of quicksilver, with their flesh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/galileo-galilei/surely-god-could-have-caused-birds-to-fly-with-their-bones-made-of/) [Galileo Galilei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/galileo-galilei/) > [Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-the-great/ring-out-false-pride-in-place-and-blood-the-civic-slander-and-the/) [Alfred the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-the-great/) > [Just as the setting sun turned the clouds to liquid gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ende/just-as-the-setting-sun-turned-the-clouds-to-liquid-gold/) [Michael Ende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ende/) > [No matter what. Wherever your mind wanders, it seems to turn up at the same Field of Dreams. It's the vision you wake up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/no-matter-what-wherever-your-mind-wanders-it-seems-to-turn-up-at-the/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [The spectacle of a great, solvent government paying a fictitious price for gold it did not want and did not need and doing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garet-garrett/the-spectacle-of-a-great-solvent-government-paying-a-fictitious-price/) [Garet Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garet-garrett/) > [Nothing good comes on a platter of gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-good-comes-on-a-platter-of-gold/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All the people in Korea are cheering me like I'm a gold medalist or something, so I have a responsibility to my country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/psy/all-the-people-in-korea-are-cheering-me-like-i-m-a-gold-medalist-or/) [PSY](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/psy/) > [All metallics are neutrals. So it is absolutely fine to mix gold and silver; you just want it to look like it has purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-london/all-metallics-are-neutrals-so-it-is-absolutely-fine-to-mix-gold-and/) [Stacy London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-london/) > [He gives only the worthless gold who gives from a sense of duty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-russell-lowell/he-gives-only-the-worthless-gold-who-gives-from-a-sense-of-duty/) [James Russell Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-russell-lowell/) [Browse all 3,806 Gold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gold/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Gold thou mayst safely touch; but if it stick Unto thy hands, it woundeth to the quick.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Herbert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/gold-thou-mayst-safely-touch-but-if-it-stick-unto-thy-hands-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Gold" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/gold-thou-mayst-safely-touch-but-if-it-stick-unto-thy-hands-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/george-herbert-107_gold_gold-thou-mayst-safely-touch-but-if-it-s_2494379.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/george-herbert-107_gold_gold-thou-mayst-safely-touch-but-if-it-s_2494379.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/george-herbert-107_gold_gold-thou-mayst-safely-touch-but-if-it-s_2494379.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Gold thou mayst safely touch; but if it stick Unto thy hands, it woundeth to the quick.” — George Herbert", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "George Herbert", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Gold thou mayst safely touch; but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/gold-thou-mayst-safely-touch-but-if-it-stick-unto-thy-hands-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/gold-thou-mayst-safely-touch-but-if-it-stick-unto-thy-hands-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```