Error: unable to open database in macOS Mojave
I was having this issue and solved it before posting the question. I was also having other quirky permissions issues within Terminal after upgrading to Mojave.
I stumbled upon this and thought I would share here, since I don't normally consult the more casual Mac user pages: Fix Terminal “Operation not permitted” Error in MacOS Mojave
Basically, you need to add Terminal.app to have Full Disk Access within System Preferences -> Security & Privacy -> Privacy tab.