I will open my mouth in a parable; I will tell riddles of old,
Parallel translations
- WEB I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old,
- KJV I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:
- BSB I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning,
- NKJV I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old,
- NLT for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Asaph announces he will speak in a parable and utter mysteries from of old.
Overview
The psalmist frames Israel's history as instructive parable and dark sayings that reveal deeper truth. Matthew 13:35 cites this verse as fulfilled in Jesus, who taught in parables. Thus this opening points beyond itself to Christ, the ultimate teacher who unveils God's hidden purposes.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Matt 13:34–35Jesus spoke all these things in parables to the multitudes; and without a parable, he didn’t speak to them,
- Mark 4:34Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
- Matt 13:11–13He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.
- Ps 49:4I will incline my ear to a proverb. I will open my riddle on the harp.
- Prov 1:6to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 78:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.