Lay it up therefore into your hearts, not to meditate before how you shall answer:

Settle therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand your defence,

'Settle, then, to your hearts, not to meditate beforehand to reply,

"Make up your minds, however, not to prepare a defence beforehand,

So take care not to be troubled before the time comes, about what answers you will give:

Therefore, set this in your hearts: that you should not consider in advance how you might respond.

Make up your minds, therefore, not to prepare your defense;

Settle it, therefore, in your hearts - Fix it firmly in your minds - so firmly as to become a settled principle - that you are always to depend on God for aid in all your trials. See Mark 13:11.

Settle it therefore, etc. - See on Matthew 10:19 (note).

Settle it therefore in your hearts,.... Resolve on this in your minds, and let it be a rule never to be departed from:
not to meditate before what you shall answer; not to sit down, and study a form of words, and scheme of things, what to reply to the ensnaring questions, that may be thought would be asked, by kings and rulers, or any of the judges before whom they should be brought; it being natural for persons, especially of a low life, to be timorous and fearful, to appear before such great personages, and to be thoughtful and solicitous what to say to any question that may be asked them; See Gill on Matthew 10:19.