Hugh Nibley
"After the flocks of the king 'scattered . . . and fled many ways," the servants lamented that as a matter of course, "now the king will slay us, as he has our brethren' (Alma 17:28). And they began to weep. What insanity is this, the king kills his own servants for losing a contest that had been acted out before? In fact, 'it was the practice of these Lamanites to stand by the waters of Sebus and scatter the flocks of the people,' keeping what they could for themselves, 'it being a practice of plunder among them' (Alma 18:7). So it was no secret to anyone; this was not an ambush but something to be expected. But the king's own flocks? Didn't he have enough men to protect them if this happened regularly? Well, for one thing the Lamanites played the game for sport; it was more than meat that they were after, for 'they delighted in the destruction of their brethren; and for this cause they stood to scatter the flocks of the king' (Alma 17:35). The fun of it was their main interest, but Ammon spoiled the fun when he 'stood forth and began to cast stones at them with his sling.' They were outraged." (The Prophetic Book of Mormon, pp. 539-40)