But Samson's wife was [given] to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.
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.