And as the whole assembly of Israel stood there, the king turned around and blessed them all
Here, I. Solomon encourages the priests, who came out of the temple from their ministration, much astonished at the dark cloud that overshadowed them. The disciples of Christ feared when they entered into the cloud, though it was a bright cloud (Luk 9:34), so did the priests when they found themselves wrapped in a thick cloud. To silence their fears, 1.
Commenting on 1 Kings 8:12-21
And the king turned his face about,.... He was before the altar, Kg1 8:22, with his face to that first, and looking towards the holy and the most holy place, filled with the cloud and glory; and now he turned himself and stood with the altar behind him, and looking to the court of the people: and blessed all the congregation of Israel; either blessed...
the king turned his face about--From the temple, where he had been watching the movement of the mystic cloud, and while the people were standing, partly as the attitude of devotion, partly out of respect to royalty, the king gave a fervent expression of praise to God for the fulfilment of His promise (Sa2 7:6-16).