When they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be on me.”
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 9. Double spirit. A double portion of thy spirit, as thy eldest son and heir: or thy spirit, which is double, in comparison of that which God usually imparteth to his prophets; ( Ch). or the power of working miracles, as well as of prophesying. Worthington.—He wishes to excel his fellow disciples, rather than his master. Tirinus. Cajet. Amama.—Double often means, great and perfect. Jeremiah 17:18. If Eliseus even begged that he might perform more and greater wonders than his master, (as Christ enabled his disciples to surpass himself, in this particular. John 14:12. Bible.) he might do it without pride, purely for the glory of God. He certainly shone forth with peculiar splendour; and some have enumerated sixteen or twenty-four of his miracles, while they can only find eight (Lyran.) or twelve recorded of Elias. See A. Lapide, in Eccli. xlviii. 13. Calmet.—We read a similar expression in Pindar, (Olym. vi.) where Neptune gave his son Jamus (Θησαυρον διδυμον μαντοσυνας) “the double treasure of divination,” p. 50. Ed. Step. Bible.