Selaphiel — also rendered Sealtiel, Salathiel, or Sealthiel — is one of the seven archangels recognized in the Eastern Orthodox synaxis, alongside Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Jegudiel, and Barachiel. His name in Hebrew means 'I have asked God,' and his proper office is prayer: he is venerated as the archangel who teaches and supports the worship of the saints, kindling the prayers of the faithful and presenting them at the throne of God.
His name appears in 3 Esdras 5:16, where 'Salathiel' is identified as a leader of the people of Israel. The Eastern tradition draws on this and on broader liturgical inheritance to assign Selaphiel his particular ministry. He is not named in the Protestant canon; the Council of Trent did not list him among the named archangels for Catholic veneration, but Coptic and Orthodox Christianity have venerated him from antiquity.
Iconographically, Selaphiel is unmistakable. He is depicted with his head bowed, his eyes downcast, and his hands crossed upon his breast in the posture of intense prayer — the very image of contemplative worship. Where Michael is the warrior and Gabriel the messenger, Selaphiel is the icon of the soul lifted up. For believers learning to pray, the tradition holds him out as a heavenly companion — a brother in the work of intercession.