# Catena: Bible & Commentaries > Bible app with verse-by-verse commentary from church fathers. (iPhone/iPad app by David Salib.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/catena-bible-and-commentaries/id1218663640 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [David Salib](https://appshunter.io/developer/1036060363) - Category: Reference, Education - Price: Free - Rating: 4.90/5 from 4,985 App Store ratings · 462 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 11.0 · 57 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2017-04-05 - Data updated: 2026-08-29 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/catena-bible-and-commentaries/id1218663640/reviews.md ## What is Catena? Catena is the Bible with verse-by-verse commentary from the church fathers. This gives you insights on the scripture by early Christian theologians, whose faith is the basis of all Christians. Catena brings the faith that was taught by Christ, preached by the Apostles and kept by the fathers. Commentaries from the original Church perspective speaks to the deeper experience in the roots of the authentic faith. If you are looking for authoritative guidance in interpreting Scripture, understanding the early church, and learning how to apply the Word of God to your spiritual life, Catena will be a treasured resource for you God Bless! ## Key features - Verse-by-verse commentary - Insights from church fathers - Early Christian theologian perspectives - Scripture interpretation guidance - Spiritual life application - Understanding the early church ## What do users think of Catena? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🙏 Thank you for your hard work - 👍 Helpful commentaries and insights - 🔍 Great for Bible study and learning - 🕰️ Useful daily quotes from Church Fathers - 🧭 Easy to navigate and use - 🌍 Diverse perspectives from different traditions **Cons** - 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes - 🔍 Missing some commentaries or translations - 🔌 Offline functionality could be improved **Commonly reported bugs** - Verse navigation sometimes gets stuck - Difficulty accessing certain Bible versions - Occasional freezing or white screen issues **Most requested features** - Add more Bible translations - Improve sharing and note-taking features - Include Orthodox lectionary and liturgical calendar - Provide source links for commentaries ## Recent user reviews (10 of 462) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/catena-bible-and-commentaries/id1218663640/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Useful and a great companion *2026-08-27, version 5.5.1* I recommend especially these days ### 5/5 — Awesome *2026-08-27, version 5.5.1* This is a fantastic app one of my favorites. Such a plethora of information from the church fathers it is truly a blessing. Praise be to God. ### 5/5 — Love the quote of the day *2026-08-22, version 5.5.1* This is a very good easy to use app, the quote of the day from the saints is always encouraging. ### 5/5 — Amazing Bible App *2026-08-21, version 5.5.1* One of the best out there, not only are you able to have multiple church fathers to read from but also being able to access them for free, most places don’t usually have all of this for free. The only thing I wish was in the app is to highlight and click on multiple verses and or passages at once, plus to see where the church father quotes from coming from, for instance, if the quote is coming from one of their commentaries or from a specific work they wrote on. Other than that, amazing App. ### 5/5 — Great app honestly *2026-08-20, version 5.5.1* Will there be any updates? It’s been 3 years since the last update ### 5/5 — Fantastic app *2026-08-18, version 5.5.1* I love this app! Being a Protestant who’s exploring the orthodox faith this is a great app to support the journey. ### 5/5 — Glory to God!! *2026-08-18, version 5.5.1* Catena is what exactly I’ve been searching for. I want to thank My Lord Jesus Christ for leading me to this app! I’m am part of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and I’ve never found an English Bible that directly translates the Amharic to English until Catena. The accounts of the early church fathers are so important and having them so easily accessible within almost all the verses is such a blessing. The sermons tied to most verses is the best thing ever! Also, thank you to the creators and everyone who was involved in building this app, God bless you!! ### 5/5 — Bible/commentary *2026-08-16, version 5.5.1* It is amazing ### 5/5 — 1000% *2026-08-11, version 5.5.1* Definitely blessed by God ### 5/5 — Great Bible Resorce *2026-08-07, version 5.5.1* I’ve used the Catena app for over a year and like it for two reasons. 1. It’s an excellent Bible for daily reading, meditation and Lectio Divina. 2. It’s a great resource for commentary by the early church fathers as well as other scholars and lights of the Catholic faith. ## Frequently asked questions about Catena ### What is Catena? Catena is a free reference app that provides the Bible with verse-by-verse commentary from early Christian theologians, offering insights into scripture from the original church perspective. ### Who are the Church Fathers featured in Catena? Catena features commentaries from early Christian theologians whose faith is the basis for all Christians, offering perspectives from the original Church. These commentaries speak to a deeper experience in the roots of authentic faith. ### Is Catena available on multiple devices? Yes, Catena is supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod, making it accessible for users across various Apple devices. ### How often is Catena updated? The latest version of Catena is 5.5.1, and it was last updated on January 14, 2023. This indicates a consistent effort to maintain and improve the application. ### What do users like most about Catena? User reviews highlight helpful commentaries and insights, its usefulness for Bible study and learning, easy navigation, and diverse perspectives from different traditions. Many users express gratitude for the hard work put into the app. ### Are there any reported issues with Catena? Some users have reported occasional bugs and crashes. There are also mentions of missing some commentaries or translations, and a desire for improved offline functionality. ### What is the age rating for Catena? Catena has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users interested in biblical study and commentary. ### Does Catena have ads? No, Catena does not contain advertisements. The app is free to use and does not display any ads to its users. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 5.5.1 — 2023-01-14 Try Catena Search for commentaries & verses! If you would like to support the service and help it grow, please consider a donation at catenabible.com/donate ### 5.5 — 2022-12-28 NEW: Search commentaries & verses. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! If you would like to support the service and help it grow, please consider a donation at catenabible.com/donate ### 5.4.1 — 2022-12-17 Introducing, Commentary Context! Now you can read a full chapter of scripture with commentaries from a church father right alongside. Just scroll to the bottom and tap "Read all commentaries". God bless! ### 5.4 — 2022-12-11 Introducing, Commentary Context: Now you can read a full chapter of scripture with commentaries from a church father right alongside. Just scroll to the bottom and tap "Read all commentaries". God bless! ### 5.3.1 — 2022-11-11 We have made a few bug fixes to improve issues with login, plans, and adding notes on favorites. God bless! ## Apps similar to Catena | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Bible](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bible/id282935706) | 4.9 (13,658,148) | Free | Reference | | [#Bible - Verse of the Day](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bible-verse-of-the-day/id1255711035) | 4.9 (385,296) | Free | Reference | | [Verbum Catholic Bible Study](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/verbum-catholic-bible-study/id571019685) | 4.8 (3,907) | Free | Reference | | [Bible-Faith Prayer & KJV Audio](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bible-faith-prayer-and-kjv-audio/id6450370800) | 4.8 (7,780) | Free | Reference | | [Verse of the Day - Daily Bible](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/verse-of-the-day-daily-bible/id1379817760) | 4.9 (9,860) | Free | Reference | | [Ascension: Catholic Bible](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ascension-catholic-bible/id1660909501) | 4.9 (89,515) | Free | Reference | ## More apps by David Salib - [Momento Podcasts](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/momento-podcasts/id1530089886) - [Coptic Lent](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coptic-lent/id6742693493) - [CopticUP](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/copticup/id6758904151) All apps by David Salib: https://appshunter.io/developer/1036060363 ## Related topics [catena](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/catena) · [catana bible](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/catana-bible) · [catena bible](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/catena-bible) · [catena for orthodox bible study](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/catena-for-orthodox-bible-study) · [cantina bible](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/cantina-bible) · [katena](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/katena) · [coptic commentaries](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/coptic-commentaries) · [catholic bible commentary](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/catholic-bible-commentary) · [ccc bible lesson lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ccc-bible-lesson-lite) · [orthodox study bible](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/orthodox-study-bible) · [ancient faith](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ancient-faith) · [the systematic theology](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/the-systematic-theology) · [verbum catholic bible study](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/verbum-catholic-bible-study) · [orthodox bible](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/orthodox-bible) · [christian bible commentary](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/christian-bible-commentary) · [steadfast bible fellowship](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/steadfast-bible-fellowship) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*