Here again (as in vv. 11–12), Zeniff assumes that Lamanstirred his people up to wars and contentions. However, at least some evidence suggests that this might not have been so. Zeniff has already claimed that the Lamanites want to bring them into bondage (the state in which his grandson, Limhi, existed). Nevertheless, what Zeniff describes is a violent and murderous attack on a farming community at some distance from Nephi. Obviously, if the point is to exact tribute, it makes no sense to kill the producers—the farmers and shepherds. Rather this attack seems more characteristic of thieves and bandits. Lamancertainly could have killed the Nephites and appropriated their flocks at any time in the last twelve years, so why would he have engaged in such drastic action at this point, with no history of escalating tensions and no external reason, such as a famine, driving such a short-sighted decision? While we cannot know why this band of Lamanites attacked in Shilom, it does not seem plausible to attribute responsibility to Laman.
Variant: In the manuscripts and the 1830 edition, the phrase in verse 14 was “to take of their flocks.” This was changed in 1837 to “to take off their flocks.” Skousen notes: “The 1837 reading ‘to take off their flocks’ does seem rather odd, which suggests that the 1837 change to off may have been accidental (it was not marked by Joseph Smith in the printer’s manuscript).” He also notes that there are several parallel passages with “to take of… ” such as 1 Nephi 16:7, “also my brethren took of the daughters of Ishmael to wife.” Skousen suggests that the text should read “to take of their flocks.” I see the text as indicating that some of the flocks were taken rather than that all were taken.