1. Judges 14:6 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

Why did Samson not tell his parents about this episode?

Judges 14:6 (ESV)

6 Then the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done.

Samson’s silence in regard to the episode raises intriguing questions. Is he purposely keeping a secret to be used later? Or does he forget to tell his parents? This is unlikely, since his feat is exactly the kind that one would boast about. Block surmises that, like the sudden appearance of the lion, Samson’s silence is probably another work of God.1 The fact is that we cannot be certain why he does not tell his parents. We can know what he was not thinking on account of what follows in verse Judges 14:7: he does not think to himself, Maybe this means I should not be going down to Timnah. Maybe I should be following the Lord, who gave me his Spirit in my time of need.2 Instead, Samson goes down to Timnah.