And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.
He blessed the people - in the name of God, as Moses, Joshua, and Samuel had done before him. As the vicegerent or representative of Yahweh, he was entitled to do this act as much as any other connected with the office of theocratic ruler (see the notes at 1 Kings 8:53; 1 Kings 8:56) There was here no interference with the special duties of the sacerdotal office. Manoah (Judges 13:16-19) and Samuel (1 Samuel 7:9: cf. 1 Kings 18:1-46) had offered burnt offerings; and any one might offer peace offerings, except under conditions which, according to the law, rendered such oblations the exclusive work of the priests.