The election of Israel to be the people of God is a significant theme in the Old Testament. This special position of Israel has offended many people both in the ancient and modern world. In a world of "equal opportunity," people argue that the idea of election leads to violence because it in effect defines all other nations as the enemy. The elect and the non-elect are seen as antagonistic categories. This raises the question addressed in this article whether the Lord condemned the nations when he chose Israel. It wants to explore YHWH’s relationship with non-Israelite nations including Sodom and Gomorrah, the Amalekites, the Egyptians, the Midianites, and the Canaanites.