The third and most important of R. Stephanus' editions, known as the Editio Regia. From this the "Textus Receptus," found in ordinary Greek Testaments, is substantially derived.

Bentley alludes to Stephanus as the "Protestant Pope," and says that his text could not have claimed greater authority if an apostle had been the compositor.

This edition was attacked by the Sorbonne and Estienne had difficulty getting it published; after publication it continued to cause trouble until after his removal from Paris later in the year.

In this third recension the text is more closely conformed to that of Erasmus. Reuss states that a collation with Stephanus' first edition (1546) reveals the fact that in 38 passages the editor here rejected the Complutensian reading in favor of that of Erasmus, whereas he adopted the converse course in only two. In only nine cases is a reading found here which does not occur in any earlier edition. According to Scrivener's collation, Stephanus' first edition differs from this third edition in 797 places, "of which 372 only are real various readings."

The most interesting feature of this Testament is the critical apparatus, printed in the inner margin of the text, which gives various readings and additions from mss. collated by H. Stephanus, and also from the Complutensian. These are distinguished by Greek numerals. The outer margin contains references, and the ordinary chapter-numbers and division-letters, A, B, etc. The text printed in the large "Royal" type.

Each of the gospels is preceded by a life of the evangelists by Sophronius, and (in the case of Mark, Luke and John) another life by Dorotheus; and also by a prooimion by Theophylact. Before Acts are placed Apodēmia Paulou...and Euthaliou diakovov peri tōn chronōn... A general preface to the Pauline epistles by St. Chrysostom follows the title to the second part; and a hypothesis, to which is generally added another short preface by Theodoret, precedes each epistle. A table of kephalaia stands before each book, and the subjects of these appear in the headlines throughout the gospels.

Epistles and apocalypse have separate title: Poulou tow arostolou epistolai. Pros Romaiois, Pros Korinthious, Pros Galatas, Pros Ephesious, Pros Philippesious, Pros Kolassaeis, Pros Thessalonikeis B [2], Pros Timotheon B [2] Pros Ebraious. Ai Katholikai epistolai. Iakobou, Petrou B [2], Ioannou B [2], Iouda. Agokalupsis ioannou tou theologou. Ex Bibliotheca Regia.

Eight preliminary leaves are wrongly placed between pages 128 and 129.

Signatures: * a-q⁸ r⁶ A-M⁸ N⁶.