The Hebrew noun avedah (אֲבֵדָה) derives from abad (H8, to perish/be lost) and means a lost thing, a lost animal, or property that has gone astray. It appears primarily in legal contexts in the Torah, where Israelites were commanded to return any avedah they found — whether a neighbor's animal, garment, or any lost property (Deuteronomy 22:3; Exodus 23:4). The word carries both legal precision and theological resonance.
The Torah's law about returning avedah (lost property) reflects Israel's call to reflect God's own character — the God who seeks and restores what is lost. This covenantal ethic foreshadows the Good Samaritan and the Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine. In Leviticus 6:3–4, failing to return avedah is treated as a form of unfaithfulness requiring a guilt offering, underscoring that honesty about what belongs to another is a matter of holiness. The concept of avedah — something lost that has rightful ownership — becomes a powerful lens for understanding humanity as God's "lost property" being reclaimed through the gospel.