Who are the seven archangels? The answer depends on which source you read. In the Book of Tobit, Raphael says he is one of seven angels who serve before God, but the passage does not name the other six. An ancient list in 1 Enoch names seven. Eastern Orthodox tradition preserves a different list, and some Orthodox sources name eight.
That is why you can find two lists that agree on Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel but disagree about the remaining names. Here is where those lists come from and how to tell them apart.
Where does the idea of seven archangels come from?
One of the clearest references is Tobit 12:15. At the end of the story, Raphael reveals his identity to Tobit and Tobiah. He says that he is one of seven angels who stand and serve before God. A few verses earlier, he describes bringing Tobit’s and Sarah’s prayers before God. The focus is on what Raphael was sent to do; the scene gives no roster of seven names.
Revelation 8:2 also describes seven angels standing before God. Each receives a trumpet. They are unnamed in that scene, so the verse cannot settle which list of names to use.
The seven holy angels in 1 Enoch
Chapter 20 of 1 Enoch gives a list of seven named holy angels. The following descriptions summarize the roles in R. H. Charles’s translation. Some names look different in other translations.
- Uriel oversees the world and Tartarus, a place of confinement in the imagery of the text.
- Raphael oversees human spirits.
- Raguel has a role involving judgment and the heavenly lights.
- Michael watches over a part of humanity and is associated with authority over chaos.
- Saraqael oversees spirits that sin. Charles spells the name Saraqâêl.
- Gabriel has authority over Paradise, the serpents, and the cherubim in this passage.
- Remiel is placed over those who rise.
Some of these roles may be unfamiliar. For example, the Gabriel of Luke 1 delivers messages to Zechariah and Mary. That is the role many readers know best. The list above describes what Enoch’s chapter says about Gabriel.
The seven archangels in Eastern Orthodox tradition
In a reflection for the Synaxis of Archangel Michael, Metropolitan Tikhon of the Orthodox Church in America gives seven names: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Barachiel, Jegudiel, and Salathiel. He explains that Jeremiel is sometimes added as an eighth. The OCA’s account of the feast includes Jeremiel and uses the spellings Jehudiel and Selaphiel.
In that Orthodox reflection, Michael is associated with protection, Gabriel with delivering God’s messages, Raphael with healing, and Uriel with enlightenment. Salathiel encourages prayer, Jegudiel inspires devotion and effort, and Barachiel conveys blessings. Jeremiel, when included, is associated with planting good thoughts.
Why do some churches name only three?
The Catholic Church’s Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy (paragraph 217) discourages assigning names to angels in devotion, with exceptions for Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, whose names appear in Catholic Scripture. This is guidance on which names to use; it does not say that only three angels exist.
If you come across a chart that presents one list as the official answer for every tradition, check its source. Four names recur in the two seven-name lists above: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. The other names differ, and a name can have a different role depending on the passage or tradition.
Are all seven called archangels in the sources?
Not always. Tobit 12:15 calls Raphael one of seven angels who stand and serve before God. Revelation 8:2 also speaks of seven angels before God, but does not name them or call them archangels in that verse. The title “seven archangels” is therefore a convenient label for a later named tradition, rather than a phrase that appears with a complete list in those two passages.
The distinction matters because three different kinds of evidence are often blended together online:
- Canonical passages may mention seven angels without supplying seven names.
- Ancient religious literature, such as 1 Enoch 20, may provide a complete list but belongs to a different textual tradition.
- Church tradition may preserve names, feast-day accounts, and devotional roles that are not presented as one list in the same biblical passage.
These sources can be compared, but they should not be combined into a single “biblical list” without explaining where each name comes from.
How to compare the lists responsibly
Start with the source rather than the name. Ask whether a page is quoting Tobit, Revelation, 1 Enoch, or an Orthodox feast account. Then check whether it is describing a scriptural scene, translating an ancient list, or summarizing a devotional tradition.
Next, keep variant spellings visible. Salathiel and Selaphiel, or Jegudiel and Jehudiel, may reflect different transliterations. A spelling difference alone does not prove that a source describes a different angel. At the same time, similar names such as Remiel and Jeremiel should not automatically be treated as identical when the sources assign different descriptions.
Finally, avoid turning a role into a guarantee. A tradition may associate Raphael with healing or Michael with protection, but that does not promise a particular medical, financial, or personal outcome. The most accurate reading is to state what a source says, identify the tradition, and leave room for differences among communities.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Bible name all seven archangels in one passage?
No. Tobit 12 names Raphael in connection with the seven. Revelation 8 does not give the seven angels’ names. A complete seven-name roster comes from other texts or traditions, such as 1 Enoch 20.
Is Uriel one of the seven archangels?
Yes, in both the Enochic and Orthodox lists discussed here. Uriel is not one of the three names identified in the Catholic directory’s guidance on angel devotion.
Are Remiel and Jeremiel the same?
Some discussions link the names. Here, Remiel is the spelling used in Charles’s translation of 1 Enoch 20, and Jeremiel is the name used by the Orthodox Church in America. Keeping the names as each source presents them avoids assuming that both sources give the same figure the same role.
To explore individual accounts, start with our guides to Archangel Michael and Archangel Raphael, or read how Michael and Gabriel differ.