The Spirit of Yahweh came mightily on him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and struck thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave the changes [of clothing] to those who declared the riddle. His anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.
Samson’s self-will ironically yielded no satisfaction for him. By disregarding his God-given privileges he lost his bet with the Philistines, his wardrobe, his wife, and his honor. Samson’s basic problem was that he did not submit to God’s authority over his life. This authority problem manifested itself first in his refusal to submit to his parents’ authority (Judges 14:3; cf. Judges 17:6; Judges 21:25). Samson did not exercise self-discipline. He let his passions control him (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:27). Self-discipline is essentially a matter of submission to God’s authority, not a matter of self-denial. Separation is essentially unto God, not just from things.