the passage, since Matthew gives no hint that this was in his mind. What is in Matthew’s mind is that Gentiles, those considered alien to God’s purposes, exhibit an openness to God’s purposes (even through the instrumentality of their own craft) and an eager receptivity toward the newborn king. This is obviously a sign of what Matthew will repeatedly call attention to in his narrative (e.g. 8:11; 21:43). The argument of some (e.g. Mann) that the magi were Jews rather than Gentiles is not convincing.