Considering works from the 19th century to the present, this article, for the first time, outlines and evaluates the use of the Book of Proverbs in systematic theology. Descriptively, it presents the most frequently cited texts of Proverbs and their significance for theologians. Prescriptively, it compares the consensus and debate among theologians with the conclusions of biblical exegetes. I conclude that exegetes and systematic theologians at times agree in their interpretation of passages (e.g., “the fear of the Lord”; Prov 6:23; 15:3; 20:9). However, more significantly, some systematic theologians present evidence from Proverbs based on interpretations largely unsupported by biblical exegetes, offering or assuming interpretations that contradict the conclusions of commentators (e.g., Prov 1:20–33; 8:22–31; 16:4; 30:4). I explore these disparate interpretations in detail and identify the core interpretive issues, offering suggestions for theologians and the relation of systematic theology and biblical scholarship
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