Strong's Concordance

What Strong's Concordance is

Strong's Concordance from Watchdis Group is a focused word-study app for iOS. It pairs the King James Bible with Strong's numbering so that every word in the text becomes a link: tap it and you land on the Strong's entry for the Hebrew or Greek word it translates, complete with a short definition and a concordance listing every other verse where that same original word is used.

You can read straight through any book, search for an English word to find its occurrences, or browse the concordance as if flipping through a dictionary. The interface stays deliberately simple — adjustable text size, a dark color scheme to reduce eye strain, and offline access once installed. It is a single-purpose reference tool, not a full study suite, and that focus is the point.

Why a dedicated Strong's app still earns a place

Almost every big study app includes Strong's numbers somewhere, so why use a dedicated one? Because focus changes the experience. In a full suite, word study is one feature buried among dozens; here it is the entire interface, which means there is nothing to configure and nothing to wade through. Open the text, tap a word, and you are already looking at the original language and its other occurrences. For the specific, common task of "what's the Greek here, and where else does Paul use it?" that directness is the whole value.

It also lowers the barrier for people new to original-language study. You do not need to know how to open a lexicon panel or attach a reverse-interlinear — the linking is automatic and the path is obvious. That makes it a gentle on-ramp: a reader can start noticing how a single Hebrew word ties passages together, or that two English words translate the same Greek term, without buying or learning a heavyweight platform first.

Tap-to-original-language reading

The core feature is the tappable text. Reading the KJV, every word is a live link to its Strong's entry, so checking the Hebrew or Greek behind a phrase is a single tap rather than a separate lookup. The entry shows the original word, a transliteration, and a concise definition — enough to answer "what did this actually say?" in the moment, without leaving the verse you are reading.

This is where the app shines for everyday study. Hit a word that carries weight — "love," "propitiation," "hope," "world" — and you can see at a glance which original term stands behind it. It turns ordinary reading into something closer to a guided interlinear, and because it works offline, it is just as usable in a pew or on a plane as at a desk.

A real concordance, not just a dictionary

Beyond the definition, each Strong's entry functions as a concordance: it lists the other verses where the same Hebrew or Greek word appears. That is the feature that elevates word study from "what does this mean?" to "how is this word used across Scripture?" — letting you trace a term through a book or the whole canon and see its range of meaning in context.

You can also search by English word to find its occurrences, or browse the concordance directly like a reference volume. For tracing themes, comparing how a writer uses a key term, or simply settling a question about whether two English words share an original root, this is exactly the tool, and it does it cleanly.

Simple, offline, and out of the way

The app keeps its surface area small on purpose. There are reading controls — text size up to large, accessible sizes and a dark scheme — but no sprawling settings, accounts to create, or feeds to scroll. Once installed it works entirely offline, so your study does not depend on a connection.

That minimalism is a deliberate trade. There is no notes-syncing, no library of commentaries, no modern translations to compare — and if you want those, this is not the app. But for a fast, focused, distraction-free concordance that loads instantly and gets out of your way, the simplicity is a feature rather than a limitation.

Pricing

Where Strong's Concordance falls behind

It is tied to the King James text. The KJV-plus-Strong's pairing is classic and well-suited to this kind of study, but readers who work primarily in modern translations will miss having them alongside.

Strong's definitions are glosses, not full lexicons. They are a starting point; for serious exegesis you eventually want BDB, HALOT, or BDAG, which live in heavier study apps.

There is no broader study apparatus. No commentaries, maps, cross-reference chains beyond the concordance, or syncing notes — this is a reference tool, not a workstation.

It is iOS only. Android users need a different concordance app.

Word study can mislead if over-applied. A Strong's number tells you a word's range, not its meaning in a given verse — context, not the dictionary, settles that, and the app cannot do that thinking for you.

Strong's Concordance vs. Blue Letter Bible vs. Olive Tree

All three let you do original-language word study, but they sit at different points on the simplicity-to-depth scale.

Blue Letter Bible is the closest free comparison and goes deeper: alongside Strong's numbers it layers in multiple translations, several commentaries, interlinears, and study tools, all free. If you want the concordance plus a fuller study desk at no cost, Blue Letter Bible is the more powerful pick — at the price of a busier interface.

Olive Tree is the polished commercial reader: a beautiful multi-translation Bible with Strong's, split windows, and an a-la-carte store of premium lexicons and commentaries you can buy as you grow. If you want one app that scales from casual reading to serious study, Olive Tree is the better long-term home.

Strong's Concordance wins on focus. If all you want is to read the KJV and tap straight into the original languages and concordance — fast, offline, and free, with nothing else in the way — it is the most direct tool of the three. Many people keep it for quick word checks and reach for Blue Letter Bible or a paid suite when a question calls for real depth.

Alternatives to Strong's Concordance