[See the commentary on Omni 1:24]
Geographical [Theory Map]: WofM 1:13-18 (Omni 1:24) Lamanites Come Down Against King Benjamin (Year 466-476)
[Words of Mormon 1:13]: He Did Fight . . . with the Sword of Laban:
Mormon mentions that king Benjamin "did fight with the strength of his own arm, with the sword of Laban" (Words of Mormon 1:13). The wording here sounds very much like the wording in Jacob 1:10: "The people having loved Nephi exceedingly, he having been a great protector for them, having wielded the sword of Laban in their defence, and having labored in all his days for their welfare." This concept seems to be one more bit of evidence that Benjamin was part of the royal lineage of Nephi.
According to Todd Kerr, one of the most important roles of the Hebrew king "was that of being a leader in war. That is to say, primarily it was his duty to defend his people from aggressive action on the part of their neighbors. Hebrew kingship initially developed because of pressing needs for military leadership in Israel's territorial scuffles with surrounding nations . . . King Benjamin also rose to power and influence during a period of "serious war and much bloodshed between the Nephites and the Lamanites" (Omni 1:24). [Todd R. Kerr, "Ancient Aspects of Nephite Kingship in the Book of Mormon," in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, F.A.R.M.S., Fall 1992, pp. 87-89]
[Words of Mormon 1:14]: All the Lands of Their Inheritance:
One might wonder how vast the "lands of their inheritance" were that were governed by King Benjamin (Words of Mormon 1:14)? And how many people did King Benjamin consider that "the Lord our God hath given us" (Words of Mormon 1:10)? How similar were King Benjamin's territorial boundaries to those boundaries of Nephite and Lamanite lands described in Alma 22:27-34? [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]