Ezra 5:1 – 6:22 is quite a long section. This section is considered together because Ezra 6:14 forms a clear narrative inclusio with Ezra 5:1. An inclusio is a literary device where the writer states a theme or idea at both the beginning and end of a story. It is meant to introduce and conclude a main point. Everything in between should be read with the inclusio in mind.
1 Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.