1 Chronicles 26:10

10 And of Hosah, that is, of the sons of Merari, Simri was (the) prince; and for he had no first begotten son, therefore his father ordained him into [a] prince; (And of Hosah, that is, of the sons of Merari, Simri was the leader; and though he was not the first-born son, his father had ordained him to be the leader;)

1 Chronicles 26:10 Meaning and Commentary

1 Chronicles 26:10

Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons
Who was a fellow porter of Obededom's at the ark, ( 1 Chronicles 16:38 ) .

Simri the chief (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father
made him the chief);
the firstborn being unfit for service, either through want of an intellectual capacity, or of strength of body, or through some defect or another; according to the Syriac version, he was dead; so some understand the words, he, the father, had no firstborn remaining or living.

1 Chronicles 26:10 In-Context

8 All these were of the sons of Obededom; they and their sons and their brethren, full strong men for to serve, two and sixty of Obededom. (All these were of the sons of Obededom; they and their sons and their brothers, all very strong men fit for service in the Temple, were sixty-two of Obededom.)

9 And of Meshelemiah were eighteen sons and brethren, full strong men (all very strong men).

10 And of Hosah, that is, of the sons of Merari, Simri was (the) prince; and for he had no first begotten son, therefore his father ordained him into [a] prince; (And of Hosah, that is, of the sons of Merari, Simri was the leader; and though he was not the first-born son, his father had ordained him to be the leader;)

11 and Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth; all these thirteen were the sons and brethren of Hosah.

12 These were parted into porters, that ever[more] the princes of [the] keepings, as also their brethren, should minister in the house of the Lord. (These were the divisions of the guards, or the doorkeepers, and forevermore the leaders of the divisions, and their kinsmen, would serve in the House of the Lord.)