Sampson’s straying from the path was not an accident. He left the path on purpose. As a Nazirite he was to avoid any contact with or consumption of products of the vine. Yet, while traveling to arrange for his marriage, he left his mother and father on the path while he entered into a vineyard. The writer does not outright accuse him of eating grapes, but he does strongly imply it.

While Sampson is off the path and in the vineyard, a young lion attacked him. The spirit of the Lord came upon him and he was able to tear the lion apart as easily as most men could kill a baby goat (kid). It was impossible for him to kill the lion without touching a dead body. One moment he would have been tearing at a live lion, and the next he would have been holding a dead body. In that very moment he broke his Nazirite vows. The Nazirite vows required a purification period of eight days after touching a dead body, even accidentally. Sampson did not want to wait eight days to arrange his marriage. The ability to delay gratification is a mark of maturity, but Sampson was immature. To avoid the delay, he decided not to tell his mother and father about killing the lion.

Keeping his secret worked, and the marriage was arranged. When he returned at the appointed time to be married, he and his parents passed by the same vineyard. We cannot know what motivated him to go and look at the dead lion, perhaps it was pride in his accomplishment of killing it. When he looked upon it, he saw a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion. Breaking his vows once again, he took the honey and ate it, and gave it to his parents also.

God saved Sampson from the lion, but God did not save Sampson from his own unrighteousness. God will never rescue us from unrighteousness against our will. Salvation requires repentance.