Samson's wife wept before him, and said, You do but hate me, and don't love me: you have put forth a riddle to the children of my people, and haven't told it me. He said to her, Behold, I haven't told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell you?
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.