A numerical study has been conducted on the combined radiation-natural convection heat transfer characteristics in a square cavity with a selectively transparent wall. The fluid in the cavity is assumed to be transparent to the thermal radiation. The effect of the wall emissivity is mainly considered in view of the temperature and flow fields. The comparison of the radiative heat flux and conductive heat flux variations along the isothermal wall is presented as well. The results show that the Nusselt number distribution is fairly uniform due to the com-pensative interaction of the radiation and convection heat transfer.