Elisha was the prophet and disciple of Elijah who received a double portion of his spirit. The episode appears in 2 Kings 2, when Elijah was about to be taken up to heaven in a whirlwind.
Elisha had earlier been chosen as Elijah’s successor. As the two crossed the Jordan, Elijah invited Elisha to ask for a final blessing. Elisha requested a “double portion,” language associated with the inheritance due to an eldest son. The request therefore suggests succession and spiritual authority, not simply twice as much supernatural power.
After Elijah’s ascent, his mantle fell to Elisha. Elisha used it to part the Jordan, demonstrating that Elijah’s prophetic authority had passed to him. Jewish tradition also counts Elisha as performing twice as many miracles as Elijah, although the exact totals depend on how the accounts are grouped.
A common mix-up is to treat “double portion” as a claim that Elisha was twice as powerful. In its biblical setting, it more naturally marks him as Elijah’s appointed heir and successor.