2 Kings 2:9 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me— Elisha speaks to Elijah as a son to his father, from whom he requests that he would esteem him as a first-born son, to whom a double portion of goods was assigned. Nor does he ask a double quantity of that spirit which Elijah had, but only so much of that spirit, as a father leaves of his inheritance to his first-born son. This is the meaning of the expression, שׁנים פי pi shenayim, which is usually applied in the dividing of an inheritance. So Houbigant. Some, however, think, that as Elijah had no other successor, upon whom he was to bestow any prophetic gift, but Elisha, there can be no objection to our understanding the expression in the simple sense of a double portion of the prophetic spirit; since it is evident that he did many more miracles than Elijah, and even after his death exerted a divine power, in raising the dead man, ch. 2 Kings 13:21. Had he desired this double portion, indeed, out of a principle of vain-glory, there might then be something said against his request; but since he did it with a pure intent to become thereby more serviceable in his generation, we cannot perceive why he was to blame in requesting what our blessed Saviour granted to his apostles; viz. the power of working greater miracles than he himself performed. See Calmet and Le Clerc, and 2 Kings 2:15.