An offline Bible commentary app, built into Scribe
The Classical Commentary Library adds 90,000+ entries — 12 classic Bible commentaries, the early church fathers, and 2 Bible dictionaries — searchable by keyword or by meaning, entirely offline. It's included with the $4.99/mo subscription, or a one-time $24.99 add-on on any other tier — every source public domain.
What's in the Classical Commentary Library?
Three kinds of classic reference, all public domain and bundled into one searchable corpus:
12 commentaries
- Charles Spurgeon
- Matthew Henry
- Adam Clarke
- John Gill
- Albert Barnes
- John Wesley
- John Chrysostom
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- Keil & Delitzsch
- Charles Finney
- Tyndale
- Geneva Bible notes
8 church fathers (patristics)
- Augustine
- Origen
- Irenaeus
- Justin Martyr
- Clement
- Ignatius
- Polycarp
- Barnabas
2 Bible dictionaries
- Smith's Bible Dictionary
- Easton's Bible Dictionary
How do I search the commentary library?
Two ways, both on-device and offline. Keyword search matches the exact words across every commentary, father, and dictionary entry. Semantic search finds passages by meaning — type a theme or a question and Scribe surfaces relevant passages even when they don't share your wording. Dictionary articles match by headword, including compound headwords. (Semantic search runs on iPhone and iPad; on Android the Library uses keyword and dictionary search.)
How does it show up in word study and AI research?
Tap a plain word while reading and the matching Bible dictionary article appears alongside your study. If you also use AI research, the assistant can search the library as it works (on iPhone and iPad) and quote commentators and church fathers with author attribution — grounded in the passages you actually own, not invented.
How much is it, and is it part of Scholar?
The Library is included with the $4.99/mo Scholar subscription. The $59.99 lifetime unlock doesn't include it, but you can add it once for $24.99 USD — on any tier, including free Reading Mode. No account either way.
Does it work offline?
Yes. After purchase it installs as a one-time ~354 MB download; from then on every search runs on your device with no network. See the glossary definition for a short, citable summary.
Commentary library questions
What's in the Classical Commentary Library?
90,000+ entries: 12 classic commentaries (Spurgeon, Matthew Henry, Adam Clarke, John Gill, Albert Barnes and more), 8 early church fathers, and 2 Bible dictionaries — all public domain and searchable offline.
How much is it, and is it part of Scholar?
It is included with the $4.99/month Scholar subscription. The one-time $59.99 lifetime unlock does not include it, but you can add it once for $24.99 USD — on any tier, including the free Reading Mode. No account either way.
Can I search the library by meaning?
Keyword search works on every device. Semantic (meaning-based) search runs on iPhone and iPad; on Android the Library uses keyword and dictionary search.
Does it work offline?
Yes. After purchase it installs as a one-time ~354 MB download, and from then on every search runs on your device with no connection.
Further reading
Add the whole tradition, offline.
Free for 30 days with everything unlocked. On iPhone and Android.
