Language 2: The language of Mark is situational

like that of the fellow poets of his time. Mark’s language ranges from ancient Septuagint quotations to solemn words from a voice of God to descriptions of everyday situations such as the sick man on a simple mattress, 2:19.

An unclean spirit calls itself legion with the Latin term because it appears with its henchmen as numerous as the soldiers of a Roman legion, 5:9.

The foreigner Pilate calls Jesus a king of the Jews, 15:26, because he cannot distinguish between the different regions of Palestine.

The scoffers under the cross, familiar with the land, know better, they call Jesus the King of Israel because Jesus and his followers come from the northern regions of Palestine, the ancient Israel.