His host refers to Pharaoh’s “army” (New Revised Standard Version), as explained at 14.4. He cast into the sea means that Yahweh “threw Egypt’s army … into the sea” (Good News Translation). A different word is used in verse 1, but the meaning is the same. His picked officers is similar to the phrase in 14.7. It means “the best of his officers” (Good News Translation). The word for officers is the same word meaning “third man,” so this refers specifically to the chariot commanders. The idea is that even the best were drowned, including all the others as well. The word for drowned really means to be sunk, whether it be in water or in mud (see Jer 38.6). However, it is probably better to think of Yahweh as the agent of the sinking or drowning; for example, “and he drowned the best of the king’s officers” or “he caused the best of the king’s officers to drown.” The Red Sea is literally “the Sea of Reeds.” (See the comment at 13.18.)

Quoted with permission from Osborn, Noel D. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Exodus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1999. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .