Nephi’s exhortation to his brothers was ultimately successful, as they did follow him to the walls of Jerusalem. However, it was not a complete miracle, as the brothers continued to be angry with him, and continued to murmur. Where they had acquiesced to go together to Laban in the last unsuccessful attempt, this time it appears they allowed Nephi to go. They would wait, but that was the extent of their support.
When Nephi wrote this incident he obviously knew how it ended. We know how it ended. Nephi will kill Laban, and Nephi—and we—know that Yahweh commanded” “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13). That is the way it is translated in the King James Version. Robert Alter, the eminent scholar, translates it: “You shall not murder.” There is a difference.
One of the legalistic differences between killing and murder is intent. An accident resulting in death fits the definition of killing, but not the intent of the commandment. Murder is associated with intent. Nephi is clearly aware that there is a command not to murder. Nephi was clearly aware that he killed Laban. It was important to him to make sure that his action was justified, and there are several ways in which he makes certain that his perceptive readers would understand the difference between killing and murder.
The first of these is that he notes that: “And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.” Nephi did not begin with the intent to murder Laban.