‘And she wept before him the seven days, while the feast lasted.'
These were the days of the actual marriage feast itself, a time of feasting and merriment probably enjoyed by the whole town. But it was not pleasant for the fearful girl, and it was spoiling it for Samson. It seemed she would just not let go. No doubt constant veiled threats were passed on to her throughout the days of the feast
(As an alternative to fourteen days of celebration, seven with the men alone and seven of the actual marriage feast, some interpret the whole as but seven days. This involves translating Judges 14:15 with the versions (LXX and Syriac) as ‘on the fourth day'. Then the idea in this verse would then be that ‘the seven days' means ‘the remainder of the seven days' during which she pestered him for the answer).
‘And so it was that on the seventh day he told her, because she put great pressure on him, and she told the riddle to the children of her people.'
In the end Samson gave way. He did not want the last day of the feast and the final consummating of the marriage to be spoiled by his wife's weeping. And greatly relieved she passed on the solution to the men in order to save her family.
The story is summarised. He had no doubt warned her not to tell them for it would be a costly affair. However one question that is difficult to answer is whether the marriage was finalised. Samson clearly thought it was (Judges 15:1). The fact that she was given to his ‘companion', possibly to save her from being disgraced, suggests that the father did not think so (Judges 14:20; Judges 15:2), although he may have seen Samson's anger and walking out as an instant divorce from an unconsummated marriage. The Philistines as a whole appear to have considered the marriage valid (Judges 15:6). Certainly the whole of the seven day ceremony was over, apart from the consummation, for the Philistine men approached him not long before sunset (Judges 14:18). We know nothing certain from elsewhere about the marriage or divorce customs of the Philistines.