The psalmist announces the hermeneutical strategy: "I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old." The term "parable" (mashal) refers to a teaching that employs figurative or hidden language, while "dark sayings" (chidot) suggests proverbial wisdom that conceals truth beneath a surface layer. This verse indicates that the historical narrative that follows will operate on multiple levels: it both recounts what happened and interprets its significance for faith. The Matthean gospel explicitly cites this verse to describe Jesus's parables, suggesting a hermeneutical continuity between the Psalter's method and New Testament teaching.

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